


Last Harvest

by Thrones_of_War



Series: Entwined File [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Chara's gender determined by reader, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Frisk's gender determined by reader, Hurt/Comfort, Male Frisk, Puppies, Rex's gender determined by reader, Romance, interdimensional, mending wounds, multiple Frisks, multiple worlds but all still Undertale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-03 03:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 131,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10235177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thrones_of_War/pseuds/Thrones_of_War
Summary: Something has happened to re-open travel through the Rift. But what could possibly have brought the two worlds back together? And are the fears that inter-dimensional travel is dangerous truly unfounded?





	1. Who are you?

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back, all! I'm very excited to begin uploading this story, so I won't keep you much longer. Just thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

“Alright little guy,” Sans said to the seemingly empty basement lab. “Where are you hiding?”

The only response was a small giggle coming from beneath the worktable in the center of the room. Sans’s grin seemed to widen and he sauntered over to it, ducking low and reaching a hand under it.

“Gotcha!” But his hand found nothing. And there was no sign of the green-scaled reptile beneath the table. Sans frowned, then straightened, throwing a quick glance around the messy lab, still unable to detect the boy.

“How does he move so quickly?” Sans muttered to himself, resuming his search for the child. 

When there was still no trace except for the odd giggle that never actually led him anywhere, he called;

“Alright Alexander, that’s enough fun times. Your parents don’t like it when you get down here. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll make you a snack, alright?”

There was no response, and the skeleton sighed. “Alright, then, guess I’ve got no choice.” He closed his sockets and concentrated for a moment, until he detected the child’s magical signature. It was difficult to focus on, as he was still young and hadn’t grown into his magic yet, but there was more than enough for Sans to find him. At least as long as he put a little effort into it. 

“Found ya,” Sans declared triumphantly, walking over to the cupboard he had sensed the child hiding in. “Now, are you gonna-”

He was interrupted as there was the sudden crack of thunder and he whirled, his sockets going wide. The shimmering scar that marked where he had closed the Rift had torn open, replaced by a large, multicolored rip in the air, pulsing with energy.

Sans froze, staring at the thing in shock. How had it opened? Had the sealing he had placed upon it not been strong enough, or was it something else?

He was torn out of his thoughts just in time to see Alexander crawling at a surprisingly fast pace straight towards the Rift. Sans flung out a hand, his left eye igniting into a blue inferno.

“Alexander, no!”

Before he could grab the child, and moments before Alexander came into contact with the Rift, something else came through. However, whatever it was became entangled by the child, and, with a yelp, the form fell.

The fusion Frisk panicked, and curled as they fell, instinctively trying to shield the container they held. But as they impacted the ground, the container slipped from their fingers and hit the floor, smashing into pieces on contact. From the shattered fragments, a red soul rose, hovering just above the ground.

Sans blinked, the blue glow in his eye going out. The Rift opening, the easily recognisable child that had fallen through, all of it faded into the background as he focused on the soul floating in the air. 

That energy… that magical signature… it couldn’t be…

“Chara?”

Frisk froze. He was there… out of all the souls they didn’t want to meet. The terrified fusion tried to free themselves from Alexander in a panic. Chara was their distraction--they needed to escape while they could!

Unfortunately for them, Alexander had seized his opportunity. He clung to Frisk’s leg with an iron grasp obviously inherited from Undyne, all while giving the older child a toothy grin.

Just a few feet away, the glowing red heart pulsed a few times, then shimmered, reforming itself into a red silhouette of a young girl on her hands and knees. The image looked up shakily, her gaze darting first to Sans, then to Alexander and Frisk, then back again.

“Sans?” she managed, her voice quavering. “Where am I?”

It took a moment for the skeleton to find his voice. 

“You’re in Alphys’s basement. Chara… I…” He struggled in vain to compose himself. “How is this possible? I thought you died!”

Chara managed a small grin, and slowly raised herself to her feet, her motions unsteady.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” She blinked twice, and her vision focused.

“Sans,” she asked quietly. “How long...?”

“Six months,” Sans found himself replying. He was basically functioning on auto-pilot at this point. Chara flinched at the words, barely managing to suppress a shudder.

“Where are the others? Are they alright?” 

Sans shook his head in an attempt to clear it. 

“They’re fine… at least as fine as they could be given that you exploded. That uh, kinda put a damper on everyone.”

“Where are they?” Chara asked, not noticing as she floated up slightly into the air. “Mom and Dad, Frisk… and Kid.”

“Your family’s probably at home right now. Kid…” The skeleton hesitated, and Chara picked up on his nervousness. He spoke before she could demand an explanation though.

“It’s Wednesday, so… he’s gonna be at your grave.”

Chara stilled, her eyes widening in shock, sympathy welling up within them.

“I have to go to him.”

“Chara, wait!” Sans called as the girl flew through the air towards the wall. 

“Tell my family I’m coming!” Chara called, just before she phased through the wall. “I have to make sure he’s okay!”

Sans stared dumbly after where Chara… who was somehow alive, at least in some form, had disappeared. His gaze lingered for a moment, before he slowly turned the lights in his sockets towards the children still tangled on the floor. 

Frisk jerked their head up in alarm, their dual-colored eyes widening in fear at his gaze as they tried desperately to free themselves. They remembered last time all too well. The colors draining away, the light vanishing from his eyes...the words that had been uttered.

Alexander appeared immune to the tension in the air, and had now wrapped his legs around Frisk’s limb as well, snuggling himself into it and cooing softly. Sans, on the other hand, took a shaky step forward, his gaze never leaving Frisk’s face.

“Kid…” His voice was trembling with disbelief. “How did you…”

The former Human stared, and then looked away, giving a helpless shrug instead of an answer. They didn’t quite understand everything either. All they knew was that somehow--they had found her, and that they had to bring her back. That was all there was, and Frisk wasn’t really sure how to put it nicely that Chara hadn’t been dead, but instead, held prisoner on their side of the Rift. 

“...she’s back,” they mumbled, trying to free themself. Their work was done...if they could just get a certain child to let go now…

“I suppose… that’s what matters now, isn’t it.” Sans shook his head slowly in wonder. “Kid… Frisk… you really are something else, aren’t you?”

They didn’t say anything else as they tried to pry Alexander off their leg, inwardly cursing that he had to inherit Undyne’s strength. Their plan was to just come in, run into Alphys, and leave.

It went awry as soon as they stepped onto this side. They were done, they wanted to leave before they broke something else.

Sans looked down at the Human-Monster hybrid’s struggle for a moment, then reached a decision. He removed both hands from his pockets and let his left eye begin to glow again, magic crackling at his fingertips. He reached out with his power…

And closed the Rift behind Frisk. 

The child whirled as much as they could with Alexander clinging to them, their pupils dilating to the point that there was barely any pinprick of color as their breathing became erratic. They swallowed shakily as they slowly looked back to him, a trembling hand reaching for the tiara upon their head.

“What, you think I was just gonna let you get away that easily?” Sans chuckled. “Buddy, you’re not going anywhere…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, giving Frisk a bright smile. 

“Not until Tori has the chance to thank you properly for returning her daughter. I mean, can you imagine what she’d do to me if I let you go without giving her that opportunity? She’d throw me through the Rift herself!”

The color slowly returned to their eyes, their hand still poised to grab the tiara. They didn’t want to stay any longer--but the problem was that Sans was right. Toriel would just send him to get them later if he didn’t bring them now. Besides, they still couldn’t run due to a certain green-scaled traitor. Instead, they just settled for a quiet mumble of protest.

“Just sit tight there, bucko,” Sans told them, beginning to dial. “Though, with that little guy, I don’t think you’ll need any help with that.”

He put the phone up to the side of his head and waited for a moment as it rang. The moment it was answered, he spoke, not giving the recipient a chance to speak.

“Tori, you’re not gonna believe this, but-”

He stopped, his sockets creasing into a frown. 

“Asgore? What-”

He listened to Asgore’s excited voice for a moment, then,

“What do you _mean_ the baby’s coming?”

Frisk jerked their head up in alarm, staring wide-eyed.Their ear fins twitched on reflex, straining to pick up the other side of the conversation.

Sans listened in for another moment, then said quietly,

“Alright, I’ll be right over. And I’m bringing… a friend. See you soon.”

He closed the phone and grinned down at the little Frisk. 

“Welp, good timing on your part… apparently, Toriel’s having her baby right now.” He reached out with his magic, and used it to take hold of Alexander. The little one squeaked in surprise, his grip loosening enough so that Sans could gently pry him off Frisk’s leg. He pulled him over and held him under one arm, ignoring the child’s protesting cries.

“Shall we? Sans grinned, holding out a hand to the little Frisk. “I know a shortcut.”

The child briefly glanced back to the closed rift, and then at his hand, before nervously and reluctantly reaching forward, closing their eyes as they finally took it.

Sans gave the hand a little squeeze, then he, Frisk, and Alexander disappeared from the basement. 

\---

Chara flew through the city, unmindful of the people around her as she passed through buildings and cars alike, her whole being focused on getting to the graveyard. She had to be focused, else she might remember how exhausted she was. Six months in that…

She couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t afford to falter. Getting to Kid was what was important, and she’d expend what was left of her energy to do that if she had to. 

Finally, she reached the graveyard, exactly at the border between the Monster district and the rest of the city. She wondered briefly if that had been meant as a message to Monsters when they first arrived on the surface. 

But her train of thought was interrupted when she saw him, sitting beside a large grey headstone with her name on it. There were no dates on it, just the words, “Taken from us too soon.” She put on an extra burst of speed, eager to see his face again… and then stopped.

Doubt crept into her mind. It had been six months. Technically, it hadn’t been that long, but… what if he had moved on? What if he’d found someone else… someone who had been there for him when he needed it? What if… she didn’t fit into his life anymore?

Just that thought was somehow more painful than being trapped in the soul jar had been. She swallowed, then floated a little closer to him. She had to find out, one way or the other, right?

“Hey, babe,” She called softly. Instantly, Kid froze, then twisted his body around so he could stare at the ghostly figure behind him. Chara managed a weak smile.

“Sorry I’m late…”

Kid blinked slowly at her, not saying anything for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he said;

“Who… are you?”

Chara gave a hurt gasp. Surely he hadn’t… forgotten about her already, had he? She floated a little closer to him, though she stayed well out of arm's reach. 

“It’s me, Chara. Y-your…” she had to stop at the confused look in Kid’s eyes as he rotated around completely to face her. “Come on, babe,” She pleaded. “You haven’t forgotten me already, right?”

Kid shook his head slowly.

“You can’t be Chara,” he stated quietly. “She’s dead. You don’t even look or sound like her. Whatever’s going on here… it’s not funny.”

He sounded tired and resigned, like he couldn’t even muster up the energy to be angry at the idea that someone was pretending to be her. A far cry from the energetic, cheerful boy she remembered. Chara bit her lip, trying to think of how she could prove herself to him. 

She took a deep breath. This was going to be draining, but she had to take the risk. Kid let out a startled gasp as her form morphed, changing from that of a small Human girl, to a robotic one. The form he had truly met her in. She looked at him again.

“Is this better?” She tried for a smile. “Sorry I can’t do the voice, that kind of requires me to actually have a physical form… which I’m sorta lacking right now.”

Kid stared at her for a moment, “Ch...Chara?”

“That’s me.”

Kid gave a heavy sigh then he slumped, his eyes closing fully.

“I was afraid something like this might happen,” he muttered. “Guess I’m just lucky it took this long.”

“W-what do you mean?” 

“This is just like the thing with my family again. You’re not really here, I’m only seeing you because I…” His voice trailed off. 

“Kid… no, this really is me. I never really died…” her shoulders began to shake, and she was barely able to keep the tears from her voice. “Please…”

Kid just shook his head. “Everything I want to hear.” he murmured. “But you died, Chara. You’re just something I made up to try and cope with that. Please…” his voice became a pained whisper. “Don’t make this hurt any more than it already does.”

It was too much. Chara lowered her head into her hands and began to cry, trying to keep the sounds quiet, but ultimately failing. She fell to her knees, shaking violently with the force of her cries.

“W-why are you crying?” Kid’s voice asked. “You-”

“I’m s-so sorry, Kid! I said I was always gonna be there for you, but I wasn’t! I… I…” She broke down even further, no longer being able to communicate as she wept uncontrollably. 

“P-please stop.” Kid’s voice was strained, and it sounded closer than it had before. “Y-you look like her, and I can’t… I don’t want to see this!”

Chara barely managed to raise her head to look at Kid’s face, which had tears slowly trickling down the yellow scales. That sight made her weep even harder. She knew that she was just hurting him more, but she couldn’t stop. He was right there… she could feel the magic that comprised him before her...

And suddenly an idea flashed through her grief-stricken mind. She hurled herself towards him, ignoring his startled cry. She reached close, threw her incorporeal arms around him, and then…

They became one.

Kid shuddered as incredible power began to surge through him. His body began to shift, reforming itself with the new magic held within him. He started to grow, his legs lengthening and the now heavy claws on his feet scouring rough furrows in the dirt. His head morphed too, his muzzle grew longer and broader, becoming more like a crocodile’s. A line of blood-red spikes burst from his back, following his spine down to his tail, which cracked and whipped about with a flexibility it had not possessed before. 

Even the spikes on his head and tail had turned crimson, matching the eyes that had opened for the first time since the transformation had begun. Red, on a background of pitch-black. Kid let out a roar, and massive, bat-like wings erupted from where arms would normally be, flapping once or twice experimentally of their own accord. 

His clothes and visor had vanished in the transformation. In their place, a set of heavy chains wrapped about his torso, crossing his chest in an X formation. Thick, dark green leggings covered his lower half.

The being Kid had become, now standing at a good seven feet tall, let out a final shudder and his scales turned a brown so dark it could easily be mistaken for black. And then, the transformation was complete.

Kid blinked. Once, twice, three times. 

“What… just happened?” he asked, surprised at how deep his voice sounded now.

 **You, love, just absorbed a soul**.

Kid jerked in alarm at the sudden, familiar voice speaking in his head. In his mind’s eye he suddenly saw an image of Chara as he remembered her, one hand on her hip and the other brushing a wayward strand of hair from her face. She was smiling brightly at him while he stared dumbly.

“How… what…?” Suddenly, he realized that he could feel another presence within himself. It was far weaker than he had remembered, but there was no mistaking that energy.

“Ch...Chara? Is that… is that really you?” 

**Yes.** Chara’s smile remained on his mental image of her, though her eyes turned sad. **I’m so sorry I was gone, Kid.**

“You’re… really back.” The Monster breathed. “And.. you’re inside me now?”

 **Normally it would be the other way…** Chara grinned, taking advantage of Kid’s poor choice of words. Kid flushed in response, and Chara laughed.

“Chara…”

 **Aw, but you’re so cute when you blush.** The girl teased. **I haven’t gotten to see that in months!**

Kid lowered himself to the ground, so he was carefully sitting by Chara’s grave again. 

“I’m so confused…” He muttered. “How did you survive? I mean,” he added quickly. “I’m glad you’re back but, I thought you were gone forever! And then you came back, and we fused and-”

Chara flinched, her face morphing into an expression of remorse.

 **I’m sorry,** she whispered. **I just… you didn’t believe it was me, and I didn’t know what else to do, and-**

“Hey,” Kid soothed as Chara began to cry again. “Yo… it’ll be okay. We’ll um... we’ll figure this out, alright? If you’re really back… if you’re really here...that’s all I really care about. We can figure out everything else later, okay?

 **O...Okay.** Chara sniffed. 

Kid smiled, though his red eyes began to water.

“I missed you so much…”

**I missed you too.**

“So, umm… what do we do now?”

 **I… don’t really know.** Chara admitted. **I hadn’t exactly planned to give you my soul. I mean, technically it’s been yours for a while, but I didn’t think I was gonna give it to you literally as well.**

That earned another blush from Kid. Despite how confused he was over what had just happened, feeling Chara’s soul next to his own… well, it would take a lot more than this to bring him down from the euphoria that was shooting through him. He grinned widely.

“Yo, well, whatever we do, we do it together okay?”

 **Yeah… together. That sounds good.** Kid’s smile faded slightly at how faint Chara had begun to sound. He suddenly noticed that the image of her he had was beginning to waver.

“Chara?” He asked in concern. “Are you alri-”

His whole body began to convulse as he felt Chara’s presence completely fade. He let out a scream as pain suddenly wracked his body, and he was left with a feeling of total loss. 

He opened his eyes, which had closed of their own accord, and found himself lying face down in the dirt. He spat out a mouthful, suddenly realizing he was back to his original form, even down to his normal clothing. Which meant…

“Chara!” He whipped his head about wildly until his eyes fell upon a small, glowing red heart, lying in the dirt not too far away. He scampered towards it, hesitating just before touching it.

“Chara?” 

There was no response. If he touched the soul, would he would fuse with it again? He didn’t know how this worked! It might not be safe, but how could he carry it without touching it? Someone else had to know some way to get her better…

He cast about desperately, noticing his open satchel lying close by. It must have been knocked over in the commotion and its contents were spilled everywhere. He bolted for it, grabbing the handle in his teeth and rushing back to the soul, gently maneuvering it so that the little heart could slide effortlessly into it. 

Alright, now where to go? He remembered Alphys and Undyne saying they were going out someplace, so he wouldn’t be able to find them... Maybe her parents would know something! They must have seen something like this before!

Now determined, he ran out of the graveyard, past the few people who had been gathering at the commotion, and out to the street. He’d lost her once, he would do anything to make sure he didn’t lose her again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things. One; I wanted to mention that this was always the plan... (well, not the fusion part, that came as a surprise to me too...) Chara having actually survived. Her exploding, and what happened next, was actually one of the first things that Petal and I discussed when starting this collab. 
> 
> The second thing is... the very skilled Raygomon was kind enough to make fanart for our story! Specifically for Forging Rifts, but I figured I'd put it up here. Go check it out, it's really good!
> 
> http://feraltroll.deviantart.com/art/Forging-Rifts-Fanart-667907571


	2. Little Girl with Green Eyes

Sans appeared just outside the Dreemurr household with his small entourage. He removed his hand from the little Frisk’s but kept a firm hold on Alexander, who had quieted and was now hanging limply in the skeleton’s grasp. Sans checked to make sure he was still alright, scratching under the child’s chin until he heard a satisfied sigh.

Secure in the knowledge the boy was none the worse for having used a shortcut, he removed the hand, getting a weak whine of protest in response. Then he walked up to the door and held it open for Frisk.

“After you.”

Tugging on their hood, the child silently entered, casting their gaze swiftly to the left and right as they bit their lip nervously. 

Sans followed just behind, and they came into the living room. Both the teen Frisk and Asgore were seated on the couch, but they rose in surprise once they noticed their guests.

“Look who I found,” Sans said, his ever-present grin seeming to stretch slightly. 

“Mini-me?” the brown-haired boy asked incredulously. 

“Why, hello little one.” Asgore smiled fondly. “It has been some time, I hope you are doing well?” 

Frisk simply nodded as they fiddled swiftly with their scarf. They had wrapped their palms hastily on the way to the living room, and were now playing with the knots to keep their hands occupied.

Sans walked over to the couch and placed Alexander upon it. The child was quiet, making no move to resist, or move from the spot he had been placed. 

From the spare room where Gerson had slept the last time the little Frisk had been here, muffled groans and gasps echoed slightly through the living room. 

“I apologize, I should have called earlier and let you know about this, Sans,” Asgore murmured. “It’s just…”

“Hey, forgettaboutit.” Sans replied, waving him off. “I get it, you’re excited. Gotta say, this is probably going to be your best day ever.”

“I don’t know, I’ve had some very good days,” Asgore chuckled in response. Then he returned his attention to the little Frisk.

“Would either of you like some tea? I can have some ready for you soon, if you wish…”

The child gave a shrug, looking for a safe spot to situate themselves, otherwise quiet. They didn’t feel like it was their place. They just wanted this to be as a simple in and out as possible.

“Go ahead, Asgore.” Sans chuckled. “I’m sure there’ll be someone wanting some by the end of all this.”

As the Boss Monster left the room, the older Frisk looked to his younger counterpart.

“So, what brings you back?” he asked curiously. “Not that I’m complaining, but it’s been a while.”

“Oh, I’m sure they had their reasons,” Sans replied for the child. “But it might be best for us to wait till your mom’s ready to hear it. I get the feeling she’s not gonna want to be the last one to know.”

The boy shrugged in response. “If you insist…”

They stayed in silence for a little while, the only sounds being Toriel on the other side of the wall, and soon, the sound of a kettle whistling. Soon after, Asgore re-entered the room with a tray and several teacups balanced on it. He removed one for himself, then placed the tray on the little table near the couch.

“Please, feel free to help yourselves. But be careful, it is still hot.” 

Asgore took a sip of his drink, but the moment he removed the cup from his lips, he froze as he heard something.

The sound of a child crying. And it was not Alexander.

The little Frisk jerked to attention, eyes locking on the door, their heart pounding, before looking back at Asgore hesitantly, watching the reactions on his face...as Frisk knew that this is the only time they’d ever see Asgore like this. 

A vast array of emotions made their way across Asgore’s face. Awe, wonder, fear, and finally...joy. He lit up like a christmas tree, and took a trembling step towards the door, pausing as it slowly swung open.

In the doorway stood Muffet, her topmost arm wiping sweat from her brow before she looked up and smiled tiredly at the group.

“Well… I believe that went alright.” She smiled. “Your daughter is waiting for you.” 

Asgore took a few more steps forward, though he made no move to actually enter the room yet.

“Thank you… I am sorry you got dragged into this, my wife is… a little old-fashioned about such things.”

Muffet waved her two lower-right arms at him vaguely.

“It is no trouble, Mr. Dreemurr.” She stifled a giggle. “Though I believe your wife was helping me more than I helped her, I’m afraid.”

“That does sound like Tori.” Asgore chuckled. Then he gestured to the coffee table. “Please, feel free to have some tea, take as much as you wish.”

Muffet’s eyes lit up tiredly, and she made her way towards the small table.

“Thank you, Sir…” Her eyes fell upon the smaller Frisk. “Hello, dearie.”

Frisk looked up wide-eyed, dumbstruck by seeing the spider. They dipped their head, mumbling a greeting of some sort as they drew themself in, hiding in their cloak as much as they could. 

“Poor Muffet…” The older Frisk grinned, rising. “You come out here for a visit, and end up getting roped into being a midwife. Talk about plans not going the way you expected, huh?”

Muffet just shook her head at him. “Don’t you have a little sister you should be seeing?” she asked, grabbing a teacup and sipping daintily at it.

Sans put both his hands on the little Frisk’s shoulders and gently propelled them towards the door where Asgore and their counterpart had already entered. 

“Go on in, I’ll be there in a minute.”

The smaller child yelped, protesting a little, their tail wrapping as tightly as it could around their legs. There was a newborn in there, and Frisk felt they’d somehow hurt it by just being in the same room. 

“It’s alright, she’s not gonna bite.” Sans chuckled. “It’s gonna be fine, just get on in there, will ya?”

Frisk looked back briefly, and then shuffled their way in, instantly sidestepping away from the entrance, and pressing their back against the wall. At least they were in the room…

In the middle of the large bed taking up most of the center of the room, was Toriel, propped up by pillows. Her fur was damp with sweat, and her breathing was slightly ragged, but her eyes were full of wonder and love as she looked down at the small bundle of snow-white fur in her arms. Her husband and son knelt on either side of her, Asgore on the left, and Frisk on the right.

“She’s beautiful,” Asgore whispered, tears threatening to leak from his eyes. 

“Of course she is,” Toriel murmured tenderly. “She’s ours.”

The teen Frisk tore his gaze away from his sister for a moment and waved his counterpart over. 

“Mini-me! Come on, you’ve got to see this!”

Hesitantly, the child tip-toed over, the only sound being the slight rustle of their cloak. They stopped a few times, before settling to be a foot away from the bed, on their counterpart’s side. They didn’t want to risk coming closer, and yet, even on tip toes, they couldn’t quite see. 

Toriel raised her head away from the newborn, blinking in confusion on seeing the little Frisk, before smiling warmly at them.

“Hello, little one,” she said softly. “It is good to see you again.” She cradled the infant in one arm, and beckoned the child closer.

“It’s alright, you can come and see. You have nothing to fear.”

Taking tentative steps, Frisk came to the edge of the bed, staying on tiptoes, their hands clenching tightly at the very edges of the blankets. They tilted their head a little, trying to get a good look at the new bundle of life. 

Toriel lowered the baby a little, finally giving the child a good look at her. She was very small, and the spitting image of her mother. She had stopped crying some time ago, and was staring up at Toriel with big green eyes. Her big, floppy ears nearly reached her shoulders, and her hands were both lightly on her chest, giving her an almost contemplative look.

“Green eyes…” Asgore said quietly. “Just like-”

“Yes.” Toriel’s smile became bittersweet for just a moment. “Just like she used to have.”

Asgore squeezed his wife’s hand gently, giving a comforting rumble that caught his daughter’s attention, and she turned her head to stare at him wide-eyed. Asgore all but literally melted as his daughter’s gaze fell upon him, and he didn’t notice as happy tears began to leak from his eyes.

The younger Frisk looked back up at the parents, feeling their chest tighten. They were together...they had their child. They were happy for them, and yet--they bit their lip, focusing on their breathing. They would not do this here. Instead, they quickly took their gaze back to the little girl.

Soft footsteps on the carpeted floor indicated Sans’s approach from behind. He leaned on the doorway into the room, his smile growing soft as he looked in.

“So, other-Frisk,” he said, getting the room’s attention. “You wanna tell everybody why you came here?”

Frisk looked up nervously, opening their mouth, and then looked down, mumbling incoherently to the point that even those next to them couldn’t make heads or tails out of it. 

“You alright?” their counterpart asked in concern, placing a hand on the child’s head. “You guys aren’t in trouble or anything, right?”

They shook their head slowly so that they didn’t hurt him. “...everything’s better...came to fix…” 

“To fix?” Asgore asked in confusion. “To fix what?”

All the while, Sans just leaned against the doorway, grinning widely.

“I...we...we found the last of that group...we found our missing souls...and one more…” Frisk shakily looked up. “I don’t know why, but...I came to bring her back, because...Chara was there.” They ducked their head again, fiddling with the scarf knots. 

The family blinked in confusion. 

“I don’t… understand…” Toriel said faintly.

“...your Chara…” they mumbled. “She didn’t die...she…” They shrugged, not knowing the answer themselves. 

“She’s… alive?” Toriel whispered. She looked up to the grinning skeleton. “Sans, is this-”

“I saw her myself, Tori,” Sans stated. “It was definitely her. Kinda hard to mistake that soul.”

“Where is she?” the teen Frisk asked, looking around like he expected her to pop out through the walls at any moment. 

“She went off to check on Kid. She said she was coming out here next though, and... well.” Sans shrugged. “You know how badly Kid’s been taking all this. Figured the two of them deserved a bit of alone time before she gets swarmed.”

Toriel looked to where the fusion of Human and Monster stood by the bed.

“And you… you brought her back?”

They nodded slowly. “The moment Napstablook and Uncle Mettaton saw her soul with the others...they knew...I just grabbed her and ran…”

“Asgore...” Toriel managed, her voice trembling. The former king looked to his wife in concern. She held their daughter out to him.

“Would you like to hold her for a moment?”

Asgore gave no reply other than to accept the proffered child, smiling tenderly down upon her. Meanwhile, Toriel, now with empty arms, leaned forward and plucked the little Frisk from the ground, then settled back, crushing them into a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You…” she choked, barely managing the words, and squeezing the child even tighter. “You have made my family whole again.”

The child gave a little squeak of surprise as the Monster scooped them up. They looked up at her as they drew one arm around her, managing to squirm the other one free, hesitantly reaching up. Their hand paused, and then they touched her face slightly, the tears seeping into the scarf around their hand.

Toriel pressed her face slightly into the hand, closing her eyes as she snuggled the child close, enveloping them completely in warm, strong arms.

“Dang, Mini-me…” the child couldn’t see the older Frisk’s face, but they could hear the quivering in his voice. “You’re just dead-set at outdoing me at every turn, aren’t you? This isn’t a competition, you know…”

The little child wasn’t sure that they caught the joke, and simply closed their eyes. “...not dead-set…” was their quiet murmur as they allowed Toriel to have them as long as she wanted. 

They stayed like that for a time, though the teen Frisk soon got up to stand next to Asgore, looking down at his baby sister with tears in his eyes.

“So... “ He started after a moment. “If Chara’s coming back, who are we gonna introduce her to when she gets here?”

Asgore looked to his wife. “Tori?”

Toriel looked up, smiling through her tears. 

“What,” she teased lightly. “Not going to try for one last name?”

“You already know all my suggestions.” The former king smiled back. “I leave this in your more than capable hands.”

Toriel giggled softly, then looked from her daughter, to the child in her arms, and back again.

“I think it should be obvious. With everything that has happened, there is only one choice.” She gave the child in her arms a little squeeze. “Her name… is Rias.”

Frisk froze as the name registered. Then, they slowly looked up at Toriel in disbelief, quivering as tears started to form. Their breath became shaky, and it was all in vain when they tried to calm down. 

“Our Rias,” Toriel said again, firmly. “In honor of the one who saved our family.”

Asgore slowly nodded. “Rias… yes. I like it.”

The taller Frisk grinned and wiped at his eyes before looking back at Sans.

“Hey, you’ve gotta start crying too now. Don’t wanna be the odd man out, right?”

Sans just snorted.

“Think I’m good, thanks. Already got enough of the waterworks going that I’m thinking Charon’s gonna be able to expand her territory.”

The younger Frisk covered their face, not paying attention as they shook and shuddered, trying in vain to stop. They couldn’t get their head around it, why they had decided on this. They wiped their strange tears away, but more simply came as they started to hiccup. 

“Little one?” Toriel asked in concern, loosening her grip on the child slightly, though she kept her arms around them. “Are you alright?”

They nodded, choking out some form of a yes, stuttering over words that kept getting cut off one way or another. “Y--yes!” they exclaimed through their tears as they made another--more coherent attempt. “I just didn’t think---didn’t think that---” 

“It’s a good name,” Toriel said quietly. “And after what you’ve done for us… well…” 

“But I didn’t do anything,” they whimpered. “We just brought her back…and it was our--” They got caught off by another hiccup. 

“....’Just brought her back?’” Toriel asked incredulously. “You returned my daughter to me. There is no “just” about that. Little one… because of you, my nights will no longer be haunted by the little girl with green eyes who I failed to protect.”

The child sniffled, jerking in the woman’s grasp again as they tried to get rid of their stubborn tears, a look of befuddlement coming to them.

There was a sudden noise, as Sans’s phone rang. The skeleton quickly picked it up, silencing the sound and speaking quietly into the receiver.

“Hello?” He was silent for a moment, then; “Found more of them? Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.”

He closed his phone and put it away.

“Sorry, guys… duty calls. I’ll see you all later.”

Before any of them could respond, he was gone. The elder Frisk shook his head. 

“Well, if nothing else, he certainly knows how to make an exit.”

The younger one looked to where he had been, quiet as they seemed to recover for the most part, shaky breaths settling as they wiped away the last of their fluorescent tears. Then, they looked nervously around, unsure of what was expected of them.

“So, child,” Asgore asked, getting onto the bed and settling next to his wife, holding his daughter close to both Toriel and his son’s counterpart. “How have you been since we last saw you? I seem to recall you were going through some difficult times… has that been resolved?”

Frisk nodded. “...we found the missing ones...Uncle Mettaton figured out how the magic stealing worked, so Napstablook’s better...the others are finishing it off...though Uncle Grillby took the others back to Aunt Muffet...everything should be fine soon. Everyone’s back...one way or another.”

“I am glad to hear it.” the former King murmured. “I think-” There was the sudden pounding of footsteps, and they looked up in time to see Undyne burst into the room. 

“You guys-” but she stopped short as she saw the little Frisk. “I thought I sensed something weird! Sans told me someone came through from the Rift, but… He made it sound like it was one of those Beasts again!”

“O-or maybe you just assumed that?” Alphys asked, walking in behind her, holding Alexander in her arms. “You did hang up before he managed to finish his sentence…”

“You do tend to jump the gun sometimes,” Frisk teased. 

“Tcha. Like I would ever use one of those clunky things.”

Frisk just shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

“I-is that your daughter?” Alphys questioned, her eyes lighting on the infant in Asgore’s arms. “She’s so cute!”

“Her name is Rias,” Toriel said quietly. 

“Ohh, that’s such a pretty name!” Alphys squealed. “I’m so happy for you two!”

“Thank you.” Toriel smiled. 

“Well, I’m glad she finally came, now you two have someone other than our son to spoil,” Undyne ribbed. “I’m telling you, every other kid’s gonna be envious of this one.”

“Well they should be,” Frisk interjected. “She’ll have the best parents ever.” 

“Trying to score some brownie points already?” Toriel teased lightly. 

“Just gotta make sure I maintain my position as ‘the favourite’.” Her son grinned. “I’ve got some competition now.”

Undyne shook her head.

“You are so full of it!”

The little Frisk turned, quietly staring at their counterpart. There was no way they were the same person. Not in one million resets. They considered trying to escape, but it was one thing to escape Toriel when they had a bit of distance...not when she was hugging them firmly and refusing them freedom.

There was the sound of claws tapping on wooden floor, and muffled shouting from the other room. Undyne frowned and started to take a step towards the door, but stopped as Kid rushed into the room, the handle of his satchel clutched tightly in his teeth.

His eyes lit up as he saw Alphys and he spat the thing out.

“Alphys! Oh man, good thing you’re here! I found Chara, but something happened, and I don’t know if she’s okay or not!”

“Wh-what do you mean, you found Chara?” Alphys exclaimed in bewilderment. “That’s not-” she cut herself off as the contents tumbled out from the open satchel, and she stifled a gasp upon seeing the red heart resting gently on the floor.

“T-there’s no way... “ she breathed. Undyne was also staring down at the soul, her expression confused at first, but then a smile slowly spread across her face.

“It is!” The fish-warrior laughed. “I’d recognize that soul anywhere!”

“But… how?” Alphys rubbed her claws together nervously. “There was no sign… there was nothing, and now… how is she…?”

Frisk tried to hide their face in their cloak, not wanting any more attention than they already had. 

“Would you question a miracle?” Toriel asked softly, and the child in her arms could feel the relief pouring off of her as she sensed Chara’s soul for the first time in months. “What matters is that she is back with us.”

“Yeah.” Kid’s voice was fast paced, worry evident in his tones. “But I didn’t believe it was really her at first and then she tried to convince me and I ended up absorbing her but then something happened and she left and-”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Asgore said, raising one hand. “You said you… absorbed her?”

“It wasn’t my idea!” Kid defended. “I was just talking with her, and the next thing I know, I was... “ He shrugged helplessly. 

“A-alright, start from the beginning,” Alphys mumbled, pulling various devices out of her pockets. “What exactly happened?”

Before Kid could respond, Rias began to cry loudly. Asgore rushed to soothe her, and Toriel looked to the other occupants of the room. 

“I have a better idea. You can all out to the living room, it is rude to have Muffet out there alone anyway, especially after her hard work today.” She smiled. “I am afraid I will not be able to leave the bed for a while, so I can stay here with Rias. Alphys… if there is something wrong with Chara, or anything I can do, let me know, alright?”

“O-okay, Tori.”

“Good. Go on then, you’ll all have plenty of time to see Rias later. She’s not going anywhere.” 

There was a little half-hearted grumbling, but the others quickly filed out of the room, leaving only Agore, Toriel, Rias, and the other world’s Frisk.

“You…. did mean for the others, and not me, right?” Asgore asked quietly. 

“Well, I suppose it’s not so bad having you around,” Toriel teased, snuggling into him. Asgore made a contented noise and put one arm around Toriel’s shoulders, pulling her closer into him.

The former queen sighed in contentment, then directed her attention back to the child she held.

“Now then… what shall we do with you?”

The fusion of Human and Monster seemed a little relieved as the others left, and the room felt less crowded. They were quiet. “Well...I left in a rush, and didn’t really say where I was going...I should probably head home before they get worried….”

Toriel nodded slowly.

“I suppose that makes sense.” She ran her claws through the child’s hair for a moment before continuing. “We will make sure you get home safely, but I would like you to speak to your friends about coming and visiting us again. Especially as it sounds as though most of your troubles have been resolved, well…” She shared a glance with Asgore. “We have missed you all, it would be nice to see you again.”

Frisk was quiet, remembering their last moments on their side of the rift before they left it. “Um...I’ll talk to them about it,” was all they said. Frisk, however, felt that it was probably best to leave it as is. 

“That is all we ask.” Toriel gave the child one last, brief hug, then reluctantly let them go. 

“Frisk… thank you again. If not for you, I would never have gotten Chara back.”

Frisk simply shook their head. _You wouldn’t have lost her in the first place if it weren’t for me either…_

The child slipped off the bed, looking at Rias again, before heading for the door, peeking quietly out, and slipping away on silent feet.


	3. I Tell You This

“Geez, how does this thing stay so messy, even though nobody's been down here in like, half a year?” Undyne grumbled, kicking some of the scattered equipment out of the way as she led the little Frisk into the lab. “I gotta get someone to clean up in here sometime. Or somehow convince Alphy to do it herself.” She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Frisk swiftly navigated the mess, hopping over to the Rift, and then gave a little wave, insisting they’d be okay on their own at this point. They didn’t want to accidentally cause another fiasco if they opened the Rift weirdly. Though they did kneel down to pick up some of the clutter. 

“Alright, punk, I’ll see you later! Stay safe over there, you hear?”

Frisk nodded, putting the clutter down on a shelf, and then turned, removing their tiara. They heard the confused murmurs of their companions, but then focused intently on the Rift. A minute later, it opened, and Frisk put the tiara back on as they hopped through, silencing what would have been a barrage of questions. They just wanted to go home, and put it all to rest.

Undyne had already turned away, so she didn’t notice that the Rift flashed as the child entered it.

\---

Frisk stilled their movements as they found themselves in the gray void again. They hid their arms away as they let their cloak fall completely. A part of them was glad they had put the tiara back on. They were brought here again...they sighed inwardly, and then turned to search for him, already preparing words to assure their purpose. 

“Greetings, child.” Gaster’s voice washed over them from behind, and they turned to see him standing not far from them, his hands displayed again in a gesture of non-violence. “I was beginning to worry you would not come through again.”

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, and then closed one eye, letting their blue one shine brightly. It was their silent answer, the small piece of what had stopped them from returning in the first place. They were not about to anger him again if they could help it. He had said to not come back...they upheld his words. 

Gaster’s smile turned sad, and he looked to Frisk for a moment, before turning and moving away, not so much walking as gliding. 

“Come,” he called over his shoulder. “Walk with me a while.”

They hesitated, and then hurried after them as they opened their other eye again, looking up at the tall figure silently as they caught up. The only advantage they found to his gliding was that it was possible to comfortably keep up with him.

Gaster was silent for a time, then spoke quietly. “When the Rift opened, it gave me new… possibilities. I am little more than an observer as I am now, but this Rift has… increased my sight.”

Frisk gave a questioning sound as they raised their head, ear fins twitching as they listened to him. They didn’t quite understand what he was getting at, or what it had to do with them. 

“I have been observing you, in particular. It is an admirable trait, to wish to shoulder the burdens of others. But I wonder if you do not take it too far.”

Frisk took their gaze straight ahead, shrugging as they walked, focusing more on their steps now, not giving a true response of any sort to the strange being. They bit their lip, having a feeling they knew where he was going to take things, but they weren’t sure if they wanted him to continue or not. 

Gaster sighed. 

“Though I suppose, in fairness, your current situation is not wholly due to your own fears.” He stopped, and turned to look down at the child. “I would like to apologize for my son’s actions, as he is currently unable to do it himself.”

They paused, frowning in confusion as they looked up at him, blinking slowly as they tilted their head fully to the side, a soft sound of questioning emitting from them as their tail flicked. 

“Sans has… invested much into the life he has now. When Chara fell, he believed he had lost everything he had fought for. He was hurt, upset and angry. But…” Gaster raised a finger. “He was never angry at _you_.”

The fusion froze, looking at him, down, and then back again. They opened their mouth, as if to finally speak, but then hesitated, looking back the way they had come. Then, they drew their dual-colored gaze back to him. 

“He was angry at _himself_.” Gaster stated, his hands disappearing into his robe once again. “He blamed himself for it, much as you do. Unfortunately, he lashed out, and you were… caught in that. But he does not truly blame you for what happened, any more than you blame him for it.”

Frisk was quiet, before speaking to him for the first time. “There was a point in his words…” they mumbled. They looked ready to say more, but instead, they dropped it there.

“And… what makes you think that?”

“...crossing worlds like this...bad stuff happens. The reason why everything is broken in mine...was because of that. Then this one nearly caused them to lose their Chara.”

“A border exists for a reason. It tells us where our boundaries lie. But not everyone's boundaries are the same.”

The child stared at him blankly, and simply waited for him to clarify what he was saying in a way that they could understand. 

Gaster looked away for a moment, before returning his gaze to Frisk.

“Merciful one. That is what they called you. Child, the ones who created me, and the barriers that you fear to cross, left their home to give me a message… for you. I cannot think of another time in which they would do such a thing. You fear. I… _hope_. Do you understand?”

Frisk paused, and shook their head. “...why…” they mumbled. “Why talk to me at all?” The title may have suited them, but they didn’t understand the point of why beings from another dimension had taken such an interest in them. 

Gaster knelt down and cupped Frisk’s cheek, sorrow glinting deep within the blackness of his eyes. 

“Because you _suffer_. And there are many who would gladly help ease the burdens you bear. Child, I tell you this. You are strong. There is nothing in this reality that can destroy you, except for yourself. You can only fall if you allow yourself to do so. You are light on a world that desperately needs such things. Do not let yourself be blown out… nor the darkness to suffocate you.”

Their gaze went to the side briefly as his hand touched them, and then they met his gaze again. Their tail flicked quietly, before finally, they spoke. “I don’t plan on falling yet,” they assured. “I’ll fix everything eventually.”

“And what do you mean by ‘everything’?” came the murmured question.

“...I’ll get everyone back to the way we’re supposed to be,” they mumbled simply. “...that was always the goal.” Always. 

Gaster chuckled, removing his hand and standing.

“And who are you to say what is “supposed to be,” hmm?”

They looked up, a bit of a glow in their eyes. “I can say it,” they stated simply, if perhaps, slightly defiant to the idea that what they were, was what they were supposed to be.

“You can say it, but that does not make it right.” Gaster tilted his head slightly to the side. “How do you know that how you are, how your world is, is not the best way for it to be?”

“How is this the way it’s supposed to be?” the child said, starting to raise their voice. “When your King and Queen still have forms of their own...have a child...still have their Chara...your Undyne is head of a police force, Alphys is still in her lab...they’re married...they have a child...your Sans and Papyrus are free to do whatever they like.”

They stepped forward, determined to say their piece. Their voice raised, and they spoke from the very depths of their soul. 

“We don’t get to have an Alexander! Or a Rias! Because my Alphys--my Undyne--my Sans and Papyrus…” They trembled, tears threatening to appear. “Because my Mom and Dad are stuck like this! All they get to do is watch everything--how is this the way it should be!?”

“You compare the world I watch to your own. Would you rather your own world be the same as theirs, then? Would you see Rex without even his sister left, and Humanity without its magic? Would you rather have your memories of the Underground tainted by pain and suffering as you battled the murderer inside you? Would you rather end up as your counterpart did? A smiling jokester, attempting to keep a happy facade in the hopes that one day you would forget the betrayed looks of those you love as your own hands cut them down?”

Frisk’s eyes seemed to light up in a rare moment of anger. Their fingers twitched before they closed their hands tight, fingers digging into the cloth as their tail flicked about harshly while tears brimmed in their eyes. It was true...Rex’s sister was still alive and well there...that they fared better in their own world...but…

They would sacrifice their memories of the Underground, and Human’s magic if it could just mean, that at long last, they could relax and rest. The child was clawing through everything to reclaim their happy ending, and now they were being told this was how it was supposed to be. 

Just give up…

In the end, maybe they were all correct.

The smile of the black-robed being turned sympathetic. 

“There is no shame, no fault in striving for more, striving for better. This is not where your error lies. Your mistake is that you are so caught up in recovering what was lost, that you have lost sight of what else you could gain.”

Frisk shut their eyes, forcing themself to calm down before looking at him again. “...and what would I gain?” they mumbled.

“Friends, family… perhaps a way to restore what you have lost. Opportunities are always opened when mistakes are made, when plans change. You just need to look for them.”

The child was quiet again, looking at the ground as they thought it over. “...what if things break again because of this?”

“What if things get better because of this?” Gaster countered. “Besides, things may go wrong again regardless of whether or not you continue to use the Rift. Is it not better to have more hands willing to help ‘fix what breaks’, as you put it?”

Frisk hesitated. On one hand...things breaking on their side of the rift didn’t concern those on the other side. On the other...Frisk couldn’t keep juggling everything. They did need help, but were unwilling to drag others into their problems. They made a sound of stressed uncertainty. 

“Ultimately, the choice lies with you, child. I do not have the power to force you, and I would not do so, even if I did. But the Rift will not go away, and you cannot ignore it forever. The good will allow you to choose whether to accept it, while the evil will force itself upon you. If you accept the good, you may find that the evil is more bearable.”

“...I’ll talk to the others,” they mumbled. “We’ll see what happens...” They adjusted their cloak, tugging on the hood. He had good points, but Frisk would let the majority vote ultimately decide...though they had a feeling they’d be coming back through the Rift sooner than they wanted.

Gaster gave a slight nod. 

“Good.” He hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, “I hope I have not caused you discomfort with my questions. I merely wish to help you understand.”

They glanced up at him, their eyes no longer shining brightly. “...just been a long day…” was their reply. “It’s fine.” 

Gaster turned away, and he spoke once more, his voice fading as Frisk began to feel themself being pulled back into their own world.

“Action, and inaction. Strength, and weakness. Pride… and power.” his last words were barely a whisper in the child’s ears. “I wonder… which one shall be my downfall?”

\---

Frisk clutched their head as they stumbled out of the Rift, turning around swiftly. They felt slightly uneasy due to his words as they backed their way to the door of the small building Mettaton had built around the Rift to keep unwanted people away.

However, the door opened, and they plowed into a form that didn’t give way in the slightest. “Frisk,” came a stern voice, and they looked up sheepishly to see Mettaton glaring down at them with folded arms. 

“What have I told you about running off!?” he exclaimed. “I couldn’t tell if your tracker glitched because you were near here, or because you actually went through, and goodness sake you insane child! You actually went through!”

Frisk made apologetic sounds, before pausing, staring at him. Tracker…? Mettaton realized his mistake, and swiftly whisked them off the ground. “Uh--let’s just get you back home, Darling.”

He stepped out of the small building, closing the rift with his magic as he did so, before closing and locking the door. As he started to head up the mountain, Frisk asked about how the others had fared against Reaper’s Harvest. “Well, after you and Grillby ran off, I helped Dogamy and Blooky with restraining others. After that, I let them go after runaways…”

“And we caught them all.” The robot turned to see Dogamy coming up the slopes, panting softly. “Michael and Jeremiah are handling the rest of it, while William’s going through the building to take a look at the mess. He said the three of them will want to talk to us soon about all of that.”

“It’s so nice to see William well again…” Napstablook said as they faded into existence. “Though I really hope that’s the last we see of Reaper’s Harvest…”

“We’ve had them on the run ever since we got Frisk back from them,” Mettaton replied. “Now they’ve just scattered to the four winds. We’ll catch them eventually, I can promise you that.”

Dogamy smiled. “In any case,” he said as they approached the entrance. “Let’s go find Gerson. He wasn’t too happy about being left behind.”

“He may have recovered from the magic drain, but he’s an older monster,” Mettaton murmured. “I can’t let him go into battle if I can help it.” The old warrior didn’t appreciate the robot’s protection all the same.

It didn’t take long to find the turtle, as he was resting in the Throne Room, making sure he’d be the first to know if anyone tried to come into the Kingdom. He opened an eye. “Huh, took the long way back?”

Mettaton pointed at the child. “Someone decided to take their short-cut without us.”

Gerson snickered. “Gives you three exercise.” Even though Dogamy was the only one who would have gained anything from that. “However, Neck-Warmer, that’s not like you. What’s up?”

Frisk mumbled that they wanted to find Grillby and Muffet before they explained everything. The turtle sighed and slowly stood, turning away. The cracks upon his shell were barely noticeable now, and Frisk wondered if they would finally fade away all together, at long last.


	4. Soul Scarring

“Shh…” Muffet soothed as Rotisa cried. The strange mix of a spider and fire Monster wailed, flailing her limbs. The spider monster was grateful that at this age, an elemental couldn’t change their temperature, or this would have been all the more difficult. “It’s okay, my dearie.” 

The spider monster hummed softly, gently rocking her as she sat down in her living room chair. “You’re just a little hungry,” she murmured, adjusting her hold on the little flame child. “Don’t you worry, your Daddy will find something for you soon.”

Muffet raised her head, hearing the door open. “Grillby?” she called.

“It’s me,” the elemental assured, smiling. “And Muffet, darling…”

“Yes?”

Grillby chuckled as two little red ghosts poked their heads over his shoulders. “I brought guests. Hope you don’t mind.”

Muffet’s eyes widened as she gasped. The elemental swiftly came over, taking his daughter from his wife’s arms. The moment he had Rotisa, Muffet jumped up with a little cry. “Alma! Chara!”

The red ghosts flew over the elemental’s shoulders, calling out as they rushed to the spider who instantly snatched them into an embrace, tears escaping her as she started to cry. “Oh my gods,” she managed, trembling over the words. “You’re back...you’re safe...you’re not allowed to ever do that again!”

There were murmurs of apologies, but, thankfully, Grillby had warned the two that Muffet was going to keep ranting. “I was so worried! You’re grounded! Forever! You’re never leaving my sight again.”

Grillby chuckled as he gently nuzzled his daughter. “You have to sleep sometime, Dear.”

“Watch me,” was her stubborn reply, which brought a snort of amusement out of Grillby. He took a seat on the couch as Cupcake came sliding in, yelping as he did so. Then, he started to bounce around at Muffet’s feet, excited to see the two ghosts again.

The little ghosts waved to him, not quite ready to relinquish Muffet to go give him affection. “Now,” Grillby murmured. “Would you like to see her?” On the way back, Grillby informed them of Rotisa, explaining it carefully so that they understood that Rotisa had not been a replacement, and that Muffet was going to surprise them, but then things didn’t go quite as planned.

Muffet smiled, and moved over to the couch, sitting down as Cupcake scrambled onto the last of the empty space, panting happily as he did so. Slowly, the two slipped into her lap, leaning over to look at the creature in Grillby’s hold. She seemed to be made of red, orange, and yellow flames, but it was easy to spot some things that were obviously from Muffet. 

Rotisa had four arms instead of two, as well as three purple eyes amongst her flames. The child fussed a little, making what sounded like little chirps of complaint. Chara and Alma leaned closer, and their movement caught the child’s attention. Rotisa’s flames stilled, and then she stared, transfixed by them.

The parents stifled their laughter as the ghosts leaned a little closer. Chara hesitantly reached out, and then patted the girl’s head, while Alma slowly reached over, letting their own hand hover there. Rotisa gave an unhappy grunt, and then reached up with one of her arms. She missed once, twice...and then finally, her little hand grasped at two of Alma’s fingers.

Having claimed the ghost’s digits, Rotisa smiled, little white flaming fangs showing, before she let out a gurgling giggle. Grillby practically beamed. “I believe she likes you two…” The two dimmed, flustered, and Chara floated away to rest on top of Cupcake. Muffet attempted to hide her amusement over the stubborn little ghost; though it was all in vain.

“Oh, come here, you little Cherry,” Muffet giggled, snatching Chara back, and nuzzling her, before leaning against Grillby’s shoulder, as Cupcake stole a bit of her lap to lay on. She closed her eyes in content, enjoying her family that had been put back together after months of separation. 

Grillby’s flames crackled softly as he relaxed, and for a little while, it was just the family together. Eventually though, it came to an end as someone knocked. “That would be the others,” he murmured. He glanced to Muffet. “Want me to chase them off for now?” he partially joked.

“Hmm...they probably have something important to say,” she reasoned with a glimmer of amusement.

“Alas…” Grillby turned, raising his voice just slightly. “It’s open,” he called.

A moment later, they found Dogamy, Frisk, Gerson, Mettaton, and Napstablook coming into the living room, all of them smiling at the sight. Dogamy chuckled. “Glad to see all of this again. So, how long are they grounded?”

“Forever,” Muffet replied.

Gerson snorted. “Sounds about right. Anyways, we got a story to tell, apparently.”

Everyone took a seat, with Mettaton speaking up. “With a little twist, it would seem…”

Napstablook nodded. “Yeah...we found out something really interesting…”

With that, they explained what happened down in the warehouse that Reaper’s Harvest had been hiding souls in. However, Mettaton was keeping one part of it a secret. “Napstablook and I sensed however, that one of the souls belonged on the other side of the Rift…”

“So Frisk went to return it,” the ghost said.

The child nodded. “I...ran into the others,” they mumbled. “Their Toriel invited us to return, if we would like...but I leave that to you to decide…”

Dogamy raised a hand. “I wouldn’t mind seeing how they’re doing.”

Gerson nodded. “I’m alright with it if everyone else is.”

The robot folded his arms. “And I would like to see if they got rid of all those Beast Monsters…”

“...and I’m not drained this time,” Napstablook reasoned.

“I’m not sure we should…” Muffet murmured. “After all, with what happened last time…”

“It did end up rather dangerous for everyone,” Grillby finished.

Mettaton smirked. “Did I mention that soul was their Chara?”

Muffet gasped. “What!?” she quietly exclaimed, then she shook her husband’s shoulder. “Grillby--we have to go now and make sure she’s alright!”

Grillby slowly turned to look at her...and then laughed softly. “Mettaton played you well, darling.”

“I don’t care!”

The elemental rose. “But what shall we do with our little ones?”

Muffet paused. “Um…”

Mettaton leaned back, enjoying the scene that was playing out. “You might think it safer to leave them behind, but…”

Gerson smirked. “Then you can’t keep an eye on them.”

“But if you stay,” Dogamy murmured. “You won’t see for yourself.”

Muffet folded her arms, glaring at them. “You’re all horrible men. Taking advantage of my feelings like that.”

“So,” Gerson chuckled. “What’s it going to be?”

Muffet hugged the ghosts close, a hand going to her daughter. “...they’re mine. They’re coming with me.”

“Ours…” Grillby protested quietly.

“Sorry,” Dogamy murmured. “I shouldn’t have let her and my wife near each other…”

Gerson tried to avoid laughing, but Muffet still heard the stifled sound.

Grillby rose. “Very well. I don’t want to leave any of the children in someone else’s care right now, as it is, but I want to see for myself that everything is alright over there…”

Mettaton nodded. “And the Rift has been steady this entire time. It should be safe to traverse with the three of them.”

Muffet rose. “Then I’m going to get some supplies ready. Rotisa is a little bit of a handful or two…”

“Or four,” Grillby mumbled.

Dogamy smiled. “Mine if I hold the little lady for a bit so that you can help Muffet?”

Grillby was silent, and then came over. “Just...be careful. She can’t burn you yet, but…”

“I’ll be fine,” Dogamy assured, gently taking her, and leaning close, sniffing at her as she raised a hand to grab at his muzzle, trying to pull on him. However, she was too young to cause any actual discomfort.

Gerson watched Grillby leave, and then looked at the canine while raising a brow. “You have five pups of your own, and you jump at the chance to hold another kid?”

Dogamy chuckled. “Well, look at it this way,” he said, a humored tone coming to his voice. “The best part about Rotisa is that I get to give her back,” he joked.

Gerson laughed, and then stood. “Come on, Neck-Warmer. Let’s go get ready.”

Frisk nodded, following after him, wondering if this would really be the best choice. To go back through that Rift. 

\---

“A-alright, so let’s see if I’ve got this right…” 

Chara floated just above the worktable in Alphys’s basement lab, close enough that she gave the illusion that she was sitting on it. She had managed to reform into an image of herself, rather than just the floating heart. Alphys stood next to her, her gaze fixed on one of her scanners that she held in her hand, while Kid attempted to peer over her shoulder. 

Asgore stood on the other side of the table with Frisk, both of them giving Chara comforting smiles. Toriel had allowed them to come on the condition that they informed her the moment they knew anything, and Muffet had stayed behind to keep her company. Speaking to the former queen had been the original reason the spider had come down here, after all.

“Kid? Could you give me some space?” Alphys asked, not turning to look at the armless Monster. Kid started, then stepped back, dipping his head and mumbling an apology. Alphys looked up at Chara. 

“After you exploded… you said you felt an intense pressure? A-as if something was drawing you towards it?”

Chara nodded hesitantly. 

“Yeah. I… wasn’t really aware of much at that point… I kinda assumed I was just passing on.” She shrugged. “Apparently not.”

Alphys gave a little hum and tapped at the device in her hands for a moment before speaking.

“W-well, given these readings… a-and what I saw before... your magic levels would have been really low at the time. It’s possible that you were weak enough that the Rift… sucked you in, drawing you through to the other side.”

“Is that possible?” Asgore asked, his brows knitting in confusion. Alphys shrugged in response.

“T-this isn’t really m-my field, remember? Sans would know better, but he’s not here right now. But given that she somehow ended up on the other side… that seems the most likely theory to me. Regardless, all this tells us something very important about you.”

“What is it?” Kid asked, looking to his girlfriend curiously.

“W-well, it takes some effort for Ghost Monsters to fuse with a body, to fully become one with it. But once it’s done, they lose their incorporeal status. If the body was destroyed, they would be too. You showed all the signs of being fused with your body, but when it was destroyed… you weren’t.”

“So… what does that mean?” Chara questioned.

“It means that your soul doesn’t require a body to survive.Your form may get destroyed, but you can survive despite that, which means that…” Alphys looked up to Chara, meeting her gaze with her own. 

“You can only be killed by magic.”

“Yes!” Kid exclaimed, leaping into the air in delight. “Yo, that’s great!”

“I guess that explains why I stuck around the first time…” Chara muttered. “I wish I’d known about that sooner.”

“Well, it would have made things much easier over the past few months.” Asgore said, stepping close and putting a hand on the table near Chara’s own. “But you are back now. I would happily suffer through that again, if it that was what it took to return you to us.”

“ _I_ wouldn’t!” Frisk called, folding his arms in front of his chest. “While you were out on vacation, guess who had to be the Ambassador? And everybody was yelling at me because of the Beast Monsters, and-”

“Frisk?” Chara said quietly.

“Yes?” 

“You’re whining again.”

“T-there is um… one other thing.” The others turned their attention back to Alphys who was looking at Chara in concern. “I’m picking up some... Uh... interesting readings on here. I think I might know what they mean, but um, first... Chara, can you tell me what happened to you while you were gone?”

Chara was silent for a few moments, her head lowered so her eyes weren’t visible. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and distant.

“I… vaguely remember someone picking me up… and carrying me somewhere. I was put in a soul jar, like the ones you used, Dad.” She looked over to her father, barely managing to suppress a shudder.

“Dad, are soul jars supposed to… hurt?”

Asgore blinked in surprise.

“Of course not! All they do is sustain the soul so that it does not fade or pass on. Did… did yours-”

Chara clutched at her head.

“It was _agony_ , Dad,” she whimpered. “From the moment I went in there, it was like I was being crushed, squeezed and torn apart at the same time. I tried everything to get out, but no matter how hard I-” She stopped, unable to continue, and her shoulders started to shake. 

Asgore, Frisk and Kid all stepped closer to her, lending her their support. 

“Yo, Chara...” Kid spoke quietly. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore.”

Chara looked to him in surprise at the seriousness in his voice, and Asgore nodded in conformation.

“It is as he says, child. You are safe, and protected now.”

Alphys stepped away for a moment, and pulled out a small notebook from a coat pocket. She flipped through it for a few moments, staring at the pages before looking up and adjusting her glasses.

“W-well, that does explain a lot of what I’m seeing here. Chara… it-it looks like…” she hesitated for a moment, shifting nervously. “Like you’ve suffered from the effects of soul scarring.”

“What’s that?” Frisk asked. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

“That’s because it’s, um, it’s a very rare phenomenon.” Alphys glanced back at the notebook in her claws, then returned her attention to the family. “I’ve… never actually seen it before but… the last Royal Scientist left notes about it. I’ve uh, been going through some of his old notes recently, he um… did a lot of good work.”

The reptile suddenly realized she had begun to ramble and began fidgeting nervously.

“A-anyways! Um… it’s very difficult, but technically possible, for a soul to be harmed without it taking any damage. That’s how you get soul scarring.”

“What does that mean?” Asgore asked, his voice low. 

“Your soul is your essence... the very culmination of your being. Chara… when this happened to you, you didn’t have a body, or anything to protect you. It would have been damaging you at your very core.”

“But, you can fix it… right?” Kid asked. “You know how to make it go away…”

Alphys shook her head.

“Not until we know what the damage is… and even then, I don’t know.” she looked down, putting the little notebook back in her pocket and fiddling with her hands. “I can’t say what the effects will be… the notes say it could be anything from a huge power reduction to erratic behavior. It could even have changed core parts of your personality.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Asgore questioned.

“Keep an eye on her. She’s going to be very vulnerable for a while anyways… and she’s very weak right now. And if you notice anything… strange about her, let me know. I’ll see what I can do, but…” She gave a helpless shrug. 

“Will it be easier for her once she has a body again?”

Alphys was silent for a few moments, thinking over the Boss Monster’s question.

“I’m not sure… it’ll certainly help with her vulnerability at the very least. Right now though, I don’t think she’s strong enough to fully possess a body but… I’ll start working on another one for her. By the time it’s finished, she should be able to use it… I think, anyways.”

“Thanks Alphys.” Chara spoke up, her voice soft. 

“N-no need to thank me!” Alphys waved her hands before her, almost frantically. “I-I know I just gave you a bunch of bad news… building you a new body is the least I can do. Besides… I’m just glad you’re back.”

“Seconded,” Frisk called, and both Kid and Asgore nodded their own agreement. Chara managed a smile.

“Um, before you go though, I do want to ask you about what happened when you let Kid absorb your soul-”

There was a cracking sound from behind Alphys and she jumped forward in fright, nearly smashing into the table that Chara was just hovering on. She whirled around, her eyes widening as she saw the Rift re-open in a multi-colored vortex. 

Immediately upon seeing it, Chara reverted herself into a floating heart again and hid behind Kid, who widened his stance into a protective one, his gaze hardening on the Rift. Asgore stepped forward so he was by Kid’s side, lightly pushing Frisk and Alphys back so they were just behind him. He did not call upon his weapon, but he stood ready… just in case whoever was coming through that Rift meant them harm.

White furred feet took a step out into the lab, and sure enough, the little Frisk of the other side stepped out, adjusting their cloak as Gerson came right behind them. Frisk waved, before tucking their hand away, pressing close to the turtle, who smiled slightly. “We need to work on these welcoming committees.”

“Though it stands to reason, I suppose. They’ve been through a lot because of this thing,” Mettaton said as he stepped forward, looking to Alphys instantly, before relaxing as Napstablook floated in, perching themselves on the robot’s shoulder quietly.

Dogamy followed, and then glanced back to the rift as Grillby came forth, his flames flickering, and in his arms, he held Muffet, who cradled his daughter, while two little ghosts perched on his shoulders, looking around in awe as they clung to him, refusing to leave. There was very little to tell them apart, aside from their brightness, and how one had very unkept hair.

The more brightly lit one looked around, and then locked their gaze on Asgore. They stared, and then ducked down behind the elemental so that only their eyes were peering over him. The dimmer one brushed back their messy hair, looking to the other ghost, before quietly following suit, not understanding the other’s actions, but deciding to follow along regardless. 

Immediately upon seeing them, Kid and Asgore both relaxed, smiles spreading across both their faces.

“Sorry about that…” Asgore rumbled, rolling his shoulders as he spoke. “We did not think you would have accepted our invitation so quickly… not that we’re complaining, of course,” he finished hurriedly.

“I see there’s a couple of new faces this time, too.” The Human Frisk grinned, looking at the two ghosts. “Care to introduce…” his voice trailed off as he saw Rotisa. “Oh my god… is that…”

Grillby’s flames crackled merrily. “I think we just found who we’re introducing first, Dear.”

Muffet smiled warmly as he gently adjusted his hold on her. “This is our daughter, Rotisa.” 

“Oh my gosh she’s so cute!” the teen squealed, barely able to keep himself from bouncing in excitement. 

“Congratulations you two… it is good to see you are also blessed with new life on your own side.” Asgore’s smile widened impossibly as he spoke.

“You guys must be really proud…” Alphys murmured, her eyes also fixed on the child.

Muffet blushed slightly as she held her child closer, and Grillby’s flames darkened briefly. The little ghosts poked their heads back into sight, watching the exchange. Gerson, on the other hand, was trying to hold back his laughter, and barely managing. 

“She was certainly a much-needed blessing with everything that was going on,” Mettaton said, smiling as Muffet covered her face with two of her spare hands. 

Dogamy chuckled. “Come now, stop teasing the new parents.”

Asgore let out a little laugh, then diverted his attention to the ghosts, hoping to deflect from the other’s embarrassment.

“And these two are…?”

Grillby’s flames returned to normal, if perhaps dimming just slightly as he looked to the ghosts. “The one on my right is Alma. They’re shy, but if you give them a little bit, they’ll stop hiding.” The dim one poked their form up a little more, and held up a hand wiggling their fingers, before ducking away again.

“The other would be our Chara,” Grillby explained as the other ghost poked their head up over his shoulder, staring quietly.

Asgore’s smile became softer, and he looked tenderly at the other Chara, while Frisk returned Alma’s wave. 

“Hello little ones… I heard about what happened. It is good to see you are both safe.”

Kid was staring wide-eyed at the other Chara. For some reason, it had never occurred to him that he might run into his girlfriend’s counterpart.

The two were soon hiding fully behind Grillby again, only occasionally poking out just slightly as they used the fire elemental to hide away. Napstablook smiled, and floated over to the fellow ghosts. “Oh, it’s okay...it’s a lot to take in after we just got you back, isn’t it…?” the ghost murmured. 

The little children’s glows brightened and dimmed, and Napstablook nodded. “Oh, it’s okay. We’ll take our time. They’re really nice, I promise.” The ghost turned. “Sorry, they’re more shy than usual, but I’m sure Chara will be flying around to see everything soon enough.” They might not stray far for a while, but Chara was too stubborn to stay behind Grillby forever.

“O-oh, you just got them back too?” Alphys questioned, her eyes narrowing in concentration. “Umm, did you find them at the same place where…” She flicked her tail in the direction of her world’s Chara, still hidden behind Kid. “Our Chara was?”

Napstablook’s form surprisingly darkened for a moment. “Yeah...it...it turned out that the organization was going to use their souls--red souls are rare after all, so they were waiting for things to calm down before using them.”

“Thankfully we found them before anything further could happen,” Dogamy managed, fangs showing clearly as he spoke.

“Some allies are cleaning up the rest of the place,” Grillby assured as he and Muffet glanced to the other hidden Chara. 

“Not that you left a lot to clean up,” Mettaton murmured dryly.

“Good,” Kid snarled, and his friends looked at him in surprise at the harshness in his voice. “I hope you made them suffer.”

The floating heart behind him pulsed quietly in concern, floating a little closer to Kid in an attempt to assure him of her presence.. 

“Kid…” the Human Frisk muttered quietly.

The Monsters from the other side looked at each other, before Dogamy glanced back to Kid. “It’s being taken care of. Trust me, Humans and Monsters alike want to see justice done to this group.” 

“U-umm! Anyways!” Alphys called, while Kid visibly tried to calm himself down.”It’s uh… a little crowded in here, do you want to go upstairs, or…?”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Muffet replied quietly. “Someone’s starting to get a little fussy,” she said as Rotisa squirmed about, trying to slip an arm free of the blanket so that she could start exploring. Alma slowly came forward, until they were floating over the little baby, catching the little one’s attention with their strange form.

The younger Frisk nodded, and tugged Gerson forward, wanting him to sit down again soon. He might have recovered quite a bit, but they didn’t trust anything. 

“Alright, I’ll just call ahead, so we don’t take Undyne by surprise…”


	5. Smiling Again

It didn’t take very long until they were all situated in the living room. All but Asgore, who had gone upstairs to call and check on Toriel… and to make tea.

“You know, if he didn’t make such good tea I’d be worried about that being basically his only party trick.” Frisk joked, leaning against the piano. “It’s like he spent centuries perfecting one thing to the tiniest detail, rather than try out a bunch of stuff.” He shook his head. “That’s my dad for you,” he finished fondly.

Gerson chuckled. “Sounds about right,” he said as he settled down with the little Frisk occupying his lap, adjusting their tiara quietly as they snuggled into him.

Grillby sat next to Muffet, leaning over to better see their daughter. Alma stuck close, but Chara was peering over toward where Asgore had gone off to, watching the spot intently. 

“Yo, Chara... “ Kid murmured to the red heart still floating close to him, keeping him between her and the other Chara at all times. “It’s okay, you don’t have to hide, it’s safe.”

The heart pulsed in stubbornness, and perhaps with a hint of fear. Kid looked over at Alphys.

“Yo… do you think this is part of that… soul scarring?”

“M-maybe…” the reptile hesitantly replied. “B-but after everything, it makes sense that she’d be a little more… umm... timid? For a while? We’ll just have to wait and see if it sticks around…”

The other ghosts raised their heads, before looking to each other. Alma flew through the couch over to their own Chara as Grillby and Muffet gave concerned looks to the situation. Soul scarring…? 

“Oh! R-right!” Alphys looked over to the others. “Umm, do any of you know how… soul jars work? On your side? Ch-chara.. Umm, _our_ Chara… suffered some… negative effects from being captured on your side, and I was wondering if that was because of the jars, or because of her.”

Grillby’s flames gave a little snap. “The jars caused her harm…? I wouldn’t think that they would…”

Mettaton nodded. “Despite what Reaper’s Harvest does with their souls, they prefer them to have the least amount of damage. Broken souls don’t suit their needs...In fact...Alma, Chara, come here a moment, would you, little darlings?” The robot slowly turned his gaze to them, examining them both.

They were quiet, and then flew over to him. “Blooky, what do you think?”

“Their souls were weakened,” the ghost mumbled. “But they didn’t get any soul related injuries...they’ll probably bounce back to normal in a little while…” 

“Then...” Alphys muttered. “If the jars don’t normally have that effect, maybe it’s because of a compatibility difference, since our magics are different. Or maybe it’s because she’s not Human or Monster.”

“If it would be any help, I’m sure there’s a jar somewhere for you to look at,” Mettaton offered. “Grillby may or may not have left one intact.”

“I-if it’s not too much trouble… I’ll take what I can to see if I can at least lessen the damage…”

“But at least she’s back,” The elder Frisk said firmly as Asgore appeared at the top of the stairs with a tray full of cups and a large teapot. “And we have you guys to thank for it. Maybe now I won’t have _this_ guy,” he nudged Kid, making the reptile look up. “Moping around all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Kid muttered, though the corners of his lips twitched into a smile. 

The younger Frisk smiled slightly, and snuggled further into the turtle, their gaze moving to where they heard the Boss Monster. 

“Then I’ll have a talk with some of our friends when we get back,” Mettaton assured, while the younger Chara hid again, intently watching Asgore come down the stairs.

Asgore walked up and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. 

“Please, help yourselves. I made plenty. I apologize,” he continued, pouring himself a cup and sipping at it. “It appears that a certain child is giving Undyne a bit of a hassle upstairs, it may be a while before she is able to join us.”

“Oh dear,” Dogamy murmured with a smile. “At least there’s only one.”

Gerson snickered. “Two parents, one kid, and the kid has them outnumbered. Happens every time.”

Dogamy’s expression drooped. “Well, if they’re doomed with just one, then what am I and Dogaressa?”

Gerson turned with a little smirk. “Hm, I wonder.”

Alma blinked, watching as their Chara ducked into the floor, and then came back under the coffee table. 

Alphys stood and scuttled towards the stairs.

“M-maybe I should give her a hand…”

“Might be for the best,” Asgore agreed. He looked at Dogamy. “Actually, you may have some help with that now. I believe I know a certain skeleton who has been missing your pups…”

Dogamy looked up in surprise, and then he smiled. “And I know five little furballs who miss him very much.”

While he spoke, the young Chara poked their head slightly through the table, peering up quietly.

Napstablook laughed softly. “Yeah...they’ve been giving us the begging puppy eyes to bring him back...it’s kind of adorable...and surprisingly effective.”

“He does tend to be good at leaving first impressions, doesn’t he?” Frisk chuckled, while Asgore looked over to the ghostly child.

“Hello, little one... I’m sorry, I’m not able to make a tea that you can drink, but…”

The child ducked away briefly, but then came back into view, flying up to be at Asgore’s eye level, hovering quietly. They reached out briefly, but then drew their hand back uncertainly. 

Asgore stilled, watching the Human soul before him intently for a moment, the ghost of a smile hovering on his lips. 

“It is alright, child. Look as you wish, I do not mind.”

Slowly, they came closer, and then, rested their spectral hand on his muzzle, staring at him quietly, as if expecting something. 

As the hand came to rest on his muzzle, the former king went cross-eyed for a moment, staring at it before looking back to the child.

“Old habits die hard, it would seem,” he said, giving a quiet, rumbling laugh. “It’s been a very long time since I did that.”

The child was silent, before a smile appeared, and they lit up, laughter emitting from them merrily as they floated away, quivering. Then, they swooped back to Grillby and Muffet, snuggling in the impossible space between them, causing amusement for the two parents.

Alma poked up above the group, dimly glowing as they giggled at the interaction. Grillby’s flames crackled gently. “It seems you would have received their approval over it,” he said with a chuckle. 

Muffet glanced to the dimmer ghost, her little fangs showing. “Dearie, you’re not going to tease Chara now, are you?” Alma’s shoulders shook as they covered their mouth to muffle their laughter. 

Asgore made to speak, but there was a sudden knock on the door. 

“Excuse me a moment.”

He made his way to the door and opened it. While those seated within could not see the person, they could hear his apologetic voice.

“Oh… I… I don’t mean to pry, but… it seems like there’s a lot of people here now. Oh no… I came to bring food for Chara, but I can come back later if you want.. I don’t want to disturb anyone…”

“It’s fine, Napstablook.” Asgore said, stepping to the side to let the little ghost through. “You’re never a burden. Besides, I appreciate you taking the time to do this, you’re the only one I know who can make something to help her get her strength back.”

“Oh....” the ghost faded slightly, then looked in surprise at the occupants of the living room, fading a bit again.

“Oh… Um…. hi….”

Mettaton smiled. “Good to see you again,” he said, and then glanced to the now oddly empty spot next to him. “...oh for goodness bloody sake,” he muttered, though amusement was laced in. 

“Umm… don’t mind me…” Napstablook murmured, pulling a small covered basket from behind him. “I just brought something for Chara...um… where is she?”

“C’mon, Chara.” Kid said, standing and trotting over to his father, the little red heart floating after him. “Hey Dad… glad you could make it.”

Napstablook looked to Kid, and a small smile formed for a moment on his face.

“Ohh…. you’re smiling again. Sorry, I… I missed that.”

The boy’s grin widened a bit.

“Yeah… me too.”

Muffet smiled at the sight, while Alma made a little coo of endearment from their perch on the couch behind Grillby and Muffet. Grillby’s flames dimmed softly, before Rotisa’s insistent grunts took her parents’ attention again. The younger Frisk smiled, slipping off of Gerson, tiptoeing to the tea, and bringing two cups back. 

Napstablook drew back the cover of the basket, revealing a small pile of nearly transparent sandwiches. He looked at the floating heart expectantly.

“Oh… umm… you won’t be able to eat these in heart form, you’re too condensed for that… ummm…”

“C’mon, Chara,” Kid encouraged. “You don’t need to worry, and you want to get back to full strength soon, right?”

The little heart remained stubbornly as it was, and Kid shook his head in exasperation.

“Chara…”

It was then that the infant Monster began to cry. Muffet gave a little gasp, trying to shush the currently upset child. However, after a few moments, Grillby stood and scooped her up. “We’ll be on the porch,” he stated, leaving, with their two little ghosts going after them, already trying to cheer the child back up. 

“Will you need anything?” Dogamy asked.

“She’s probably just hungry,” Muffet called back. “We’ll be fine.”

As they left the room, slowly, the floating heart reformed itself into a ghostly red silhouette of a young girl. Napstablook smiled at her.

“There you go…” He proffered the basket towards her. “Sandwich?” he asked simply. 

Chara still hesitated for a moment, then grabbed one of the sandwiches and began slowly nibbling at it.

“That’s better,” Asgore rumbled in satisfaction. “You want to keep up your strength for your little sister, don’t you?”

Gerson raised his head. “Our little Neck-Warmer might have mentioned something along the lines of this…” 

“Yes, but our little Darling doesn’t like to elaborate,” Mettaton murmured as he leaned forward, touching his fingers together. “So, how is the little one?’

“She seems healthy enough,” Asgore beamed, almost literally. “She’s very quiet though, even when she’s crying. I don’t imagine we’ll have to deal with her running around quite so much as Alexander does.” His grip tightened slightly on his teacup, and his eyes began to moisten.

“Our little Rias…” he whispered, his voice trembling and filled with awe. “I don’t… for so long, I had given up on the idea that I might have a child again… and now…” he trailed off, unable to continue.

“Normally, I’d make a joke about us not counting right now…” the teen Frisk commented, a small smile adorning his features. “But just look at that happy face. Even I’m not gonna do anything that might disrupt that… though I get the feeling that nothing can, at this point.”

The younger Frisk smiled a little, quietly drinking their tea. They were happy for him, and yet, there was a bitter-sweetness to it all. Dogamy dipped his head. “You’d have to be seriously trying,” he told the boy as he fondly remembered the day his pups were born.

Gerson chuckled. “Well, with the way he’s beaming, it’d be a wasted effort.” 

“Probably,” Kid laughed, and Chara smiled at the sound. “Yo, he’s kinda just had the best day ever.”

“I suppose Sans was right about that.” Asgore smiled. “But, enough about me, how have you all been? Your little one told us earlier that most of your major troubles have been dealt with, and you all seem much more energized than before… I can assume things have finally begun to look up for you?”

Gerson nodded. “Well, assuming that they told you all the basics, yes...Mettaton managed to reverse that blasted weapon so that our Napstablook wasn’t a little puddle on the floor anymore.” 

“Overall,” Mettaton said with a smile. “We’re getting everything back to our version of normal.”

Dogamy snorted. “Pray it lasts a day at least.”

“It is good to hear things are coming together for us all.” Asgore replied. “Thanks to you, Chara has returned to us, and because of Sans and the Canine Unit, there hasn’t been incident with the Beast Monsters in nearly two months.” 

“You guys kinda caught us just as we’re starting to settle down.” Frisk chuckled. “So, you know.. sorry we weren’t more prepared. Though I’m sure Mom’s gonna be hard at work rectifying that once she can get out of bed again…”

“Heh, we were the ones that rushed over,” Gerson chuckled. “We wanted to make sure everything was alright...plus, nothing short of the end of the world was going to stop Muffet…”

Mettaton chuckled. “It took one word to get her attention.”

“Yo, I’m glad you guys came through,” Kid spoke up, turning away from Chara as she reached for another sandwich. “It was fun last time, I mean, except for the last bits, but..” he stopped. “Hey wait… where’s your me? Are they alright?”

Looks of concern went by the others, while the younger Frisk finally slipped off Gerson’s lap, set the teacup down, and timidly approached.

“Kid…” Chara murmured, as the teen looked in confusion to the child.

“Uh…?” Kid’s eyes narrowed, one obscured slightly by his visor. He looked like he was about to continue, but remained silent, watching the little Frisk to see what they would do.

They came forward a little more, fiddling with their cloak to buy themselves time. Then, they made a quiet attempt to hug him.

Kid gave a small sound of surprise as the little arms wrapped around him, then he closed his eyes and pressed into the little one, in his own way of returning it.

“Yo… uh… thanks?”

The younger Frisk kept their head against him, tightening their grasp tightly. “I’ll tell you later,” they whispered.

“Uh-oh,” Gerson murmured with a smile. “Did anyone bring the crowbar?”

“Bit of a hugger, are they?” Asgore asked, looking fondly down at them.

“Ever so slightly,” Mettaton agreed. “Now then...I’d like to clear some things up…” Within the hour, the two groups talked about what they wanted to do, now that things were calming down.

Eventually, it was in agreement that the younger Frisk’s side would pay a better visit within the next few days. This would include bringing more friends and family in on what the Rift was, as well as confirming details over the past six months, as the chaotic events that happened over the past while started to draw to a close. And so, most everyone was in high spirits as the otherworlders returned to their side of the Rift, eager for the beginning of better days, and new friendships.


	6. Can't Hide All Day

“So,” Felix said as he folded his arms. “You’re dragging me through the Rift?”

Mettaton smiled. “I thought you deserved a day off.”

“Says the robot who hasn’t powered down in forever.”

Mettaton shrugged. “I powered down a little last night.”

“Yeah. After you scanned Alma and Chara about twenty times each.”

“I had to make sure they were alright.”

Dogamy huffed as he went by, carrying Canis, while another pup was taking a ride on his leg. He walked with his wife, the other three running in circles around them. “I think they handled things very well.”

Dogaressa nodded. “They seem to be the same,” she said, halting her movement as a pup ran around her feet. “Now, let’s hope this Papyrus is as good as you say, Dear.”

The pups squealed their excitement at the name, and darted ahead, causing yelps of alarm from the rest of the group. Dogamy snickered as Grillby moved wildly to avoid tripping over any of them, adjusting his hold on a large pack. 

“Trust me, he wore them all out in record time,” the canine told his wife. “Things will be fine.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she murmured quietly.

Grillby regained his balance as the pups scampered ahead. “It’s a good thing that door is locked. I’d rather not chase them across the Rift.”

Muffet giggled as their ghost children flew around, staying close to them. “They have their hands full with five.”

The elemental chuckled. “And thus, we learn to appreciate that we can’t have that many at a time.”

“Oh, that’s mean,” she said, despite the endearing laughter in her voice. “Our children may be more than a few handfuls...but they’re too adorable so I don’t care~”

“...I thought it was my job to fall victim to the cuteness.”

Muffet laughed, fangs glistening in the morning light. “You better resist then~ I’ve already been captured.”

Grillby sighed in amusement, while Alma flew over, and stuck their head into the pack he carried. “Alma?” he questioned as they started to come into sight of the small building that had been built around the Rift.

They came over his shoulder, and made a motion with their hand. He smiled. “Of course I brought all of that. Where would you be without it?” Alma squealed and hugged him tight, refusing to let go as Mettaton moved forward to unlock the door.

“Someone rein in the pups, please,” he called. 

Dogamy gave a soft sound, and instantly, the other three pups raced back to him. “I think we’re ready,” he called back to the robot.

With that, he opened the door, revealing the scar in the air. The newcomers stared in awe, while Gerson slowed to a stop. “Who wants to do the honors?” Gerson asked. “Neck-Warmer isn’t so keen on doing it.”

Frisk gave an apologetic mumble, adjusting their tiara, while Napstablook flew forward. “I...I can do it…” They flew close, and a moment later, it opened fully.

The pups squealed, while Canis stared at it, tilting her head as she sniffed the air intently. She squirmed impatiently, giving a grumpy yip as she settled herself more comfortably into her father’s hold.

Dogamy smiled. “Patience, child, we’re going,” he assured, and sure enough, one by one, they stepped into the Rift.

\---

“There, darling, we have achieved perfection,” Mettaton declared, his fists on his hips as he surveyed the pristine lab around him. “Why, you can barely tell it’s your lab at all!”

“Ha, ha,” Alphys muttered, not looking up from her worktable where she welded a few bits of metal together. The glamorous robot huffed.

“Oh come now, Alphys, you know I’m joking... mostly.”

“I know…”

“Oh, it is impossible to try and talk to you while you’re working.” Mettaton folded his arms and gave the yellow reptile a mock glare. “I have no idea how Undyne puts up with you, I hope you realize that.”

“That’s alright,” came the distracted reply. “I don’t either.”

Mettaton was about to throw back a retort, when the Rift suddenly opened, startling him. He took a step back, light flickering across his astonished features.

“What in the-”

“Oh, they’re here already?” Alphys looked up for a moment. “I-I guess I’ll have to call the others and let them know… hopefully Papyrus has things set up already.”

“Darling, this is incredible!” Mettaton looked at Alphys in excitement. “I don’t suppose you could set one of these up the next time I go on tour would you? It would make for a phenomenal light show!”

Alphys stared blankly at him. 

“You want to harness a tear in the fabric of reality… to use as a lightshow?”

“What, too ambitious?” the robot grinned while Alphys facepalmed.

“I don’t know you…”

“You wound me, Darling,” came a near identical voice from the Rift as another robot came out, folding their arms as they tracked her voice instantly. “How do you not know me when you know two…” Mettaton drifted off, his gaze falling on his counterpart.

The robot already there turned slowly at the voice, looking intently at his counterpart. He was silent for moment, then,

“Darling, you’re a mess! You’re covered in scratches, your hair’s a disaster, and you look you’ve barely had a chance to power down in months! What happened to you?!”

The new robot sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve been very busy over the last few months…”

“And you,” a young male’s voice said as someone new came through. “Don’t seem to comprehend ‘rest’ anymore. I think that virus fried your brain.” In annoyance, he side stepped around the robot. Felix. He glared at his own Mettaton, before blinking, and looking over to see the other one. “...this is not in my contract, Boss.”

“Well, I’m going to have to fix that particular detail.” the pristine robot’s eyes flicked to Felix for a moment before returning to his counterpart. “I know some things are different over there Darling, but whatever it is that’s causing you to run the beautiful body Alphys so kindly made for you into the ground ends now. But don’t worry Darling, I’ll have you up to a hundred percent in no time.”

“Getting ahead of yourself much?” Alphys quipped, putting down her welding torch and wiping sweat from her brow.

“I think he’ll manage just fine,” the ragged Mettaton replied. “Thankfully, things finally finished smoothing out on our end, so I don’t oppose to getting back in good condition.” 

“Stay put!” a female’s voice called out as three pups slid into the lab, crashing into Felix, who flailed his limbs to stay upright.

“Tripping hazards!” he yelped as the tired Mettaton grabbed him without even glancing over. 

Beowulf, Dogtanian, and Lupus laughed, and then looked up, tails wagging, before they all stared intently at Alphys as Dogaressa and Dogamy stepped out next. 

“O-oh!” Alphys stammered. “Umm… Hi?”

“Hello little Darlings,” Mettaton cooed, distracted by the little ones. He crouched down to be closer at eye level. “And what would your names be, hmmm?”

The pups jerked their heads up, staring at him, back to their own Mettaton, and then at him again. The girl hunkered back slightly, while the boys crept forward. 

“He asked for your names,” Dogamy said, a bit of a stern tone coming to him. “Care to tell him…?”

The black footed boy rose up. “...Beowulf…” Then he pointed at his black masked brother. “That’s Lupus.” 

“I see you went for the more traditional names,” the pristine star chuckled, looking briefly up at the parents before turning his attention to the girl. “And you?”

“...Dogtanian,” she warily replied, while the two boys looked at the robot intently, confused by how he looked a lot and sounded exactly like their own Mettaton. Their parents had done their best to explain, but most of it had gone over their heads.

“Well, I’m glad to meet you all,” the robot smiled warmly, standing. “My name is Mettaton, although…” he glanced over at his counterpart. “I’m sure you knew that already. I hope it’s not these little ones that have been driving you into the ground?”

The other robot smirked. “Only once or twice, I’ll admit. The five together are a handful, but not as of late, thankfully.” 

“Yes, we found other victims to babysit them,” came Grillby’s voice as he entered with Muffet, the two ghosts hiding behind him as his wife tended to their fussy daughter. 

“Miss. Calico and Miss. Mantidae are surprisingly good babysitters,” the spider stated, before glancing up. “Oh.” She dipped her head politely. “Good day, Sir.”

“Grillby, Miss Muffet.” the glamorous robot welcomed warmly. Then he paused. “Wait… five of them?”

“The others are clinging to me,” Dogamy said, shaking a leg that Dogmatix was holding onto. “Dogmatix insisted on a ride, and the one I’m holding is Canis.” 

“Oh, dear… given how much trouble our Dogamy and Dogaressa have with three pups… I’m assuming these little ones can be quite the handful.”

“We manage,” Dogaressa said, stepping away from the portal as Gerson stepped in, with Frisk riding on his shoulders.

He paused, and looked up. “...oh dear.” 

Grillby’s flames gave a snap as he tried to hide his amusement. 

The native Mettaton hummed as he looked at the turtle. 

“Gerson, right? Sorry if I got it wrong, I tend to run in… very different circles to your counterpart.”

The turtle gave a nod. “I’m not surprised that we don’t know each other well over here.”

“Oh…” Napstablook flew in after the others, and turned, closing the Rift. “Sorry, it took a moment to lock the door. Oh no, I should've said something…” They turned, and paused. “Oh…” A moment later, they weren’t there at all.

“Oh dear… pulling a disappearing act are we?” Mettaton posed dramatically, one arm outflung towards the door. “Well, darlings, if that’s everyone, we should probably get out of this place before it gets too cramped to breathe. I’ll call up Papyrus and the others, see if they’ve got things ready yet. I’m afraid you’re a little earlier than we’d anticipated, so it might take a bit for everyone to get together...”

“Sounds like we need to get the time difference settled,” Gerson stated as they took the offer, clustering into three main groups of family. The canines made one group, while Grillby, Muffet, and their children made another. Mettaton, Napstablook, Felix, Gerson, and the young Frisk made the final one, as they knew the elevator couldn’t take them all. 

“Don’t worry, darlings, I’ll take the next one up after you,” the native Mettaton called after them. “As soon as I’m finished making these calls.” As the metal doors closed behind them, they could hear him continuing, though his voice was muffled now.

“Alphys, you _are_ planning to stop working on that and spend some time out in the fresh air with our guests, right?”

“Just a minute…”

\---

It didn’t take too long for the others to make it to the actual house, with Dogamy and Dogaressa keeping firm tabs on their pups, who were trying to explore every inch of the place. “Behave yourselves,” Dogamy warned.

Frisk looked around, while Gerson set them gently onto the floor. “There you are, Neck-Warmer...you gonna take off that tiara?” They whined. “Kid, you’re going to get a headache either way. Might as well get it over with.” 

Undyne appeared at the top of the stairs, and began descending, Alexander held firmly in her arms.

“Alright, ya little punk, you’re gonna be on good behaviour with the guests, right? Momma doesn’t want to have to chase you all over the place cause you’re having an adventure.” She looked up as she reached the bottom of the stairs, starting slightly at the amount of people.

“Hah! Looks like we’re getting invaded, huh? Whaddya think squirt?” She looked down at the child in her arms again. “Think we can beat off these guys?”

Alexander just gave a little squeak and looked over at the group in the living room, tilting his head to the side and burbling conversationally at them.

Frisk closed their eyes, grabbing the tiara. They took a deep breath, and removed it, hiding it away in their inventory. Quietly, they heard the voices come in, like lights appearing in the dark. Most were just confused questions, and Frisk mentally spoke to them, reminding them of what was going on in the vain hope to avoid any headaches.

The child turned away from the fish monster, slowly opening their eyes so that the only new thing there was, were the surroundings that made up the living room. Gerson chuckled at Undyne. “Oh, looks like we need to take down the head of this fort, hm?” 

“Hah! Good luck with that, old man!” Undyne grinned widely. “Anyways, you guys ready to head out? There’s gonna be a lot more room at Papyrus’s bar, and I wanna get out there before Mettaton and Alphy come up. I want a few more moments of peace before I have to deal with two Mettatons at once.”

Frisk whirled, eyes snapping open wide, before they suddenly clutched their head with a whine. 

“Two seconds,” Grillby muttered. “There’s a record.” 

Several different questions tried to escape the fusion, while Gerson came over, resting a hand on their head. “Easy, all of you,” he murmured. “Kid didn’t come here to get a headache from the lot of you--I’m talking to you, Urchin.”

“Owww….” Frisk whined, slowly managing to open their eyes again to see the other Undyne, who stepped forward with a concerned look on her face. 

“Hey, are you alright over there?” As she spoke, Alexander locked eyes on the child and cooed, reaching his stubby arms out towards them, wiggling slightly in a vain attempt to escape his mother’s grasp.

Frisk slowly nodded as their headache started to die away, before their gaze locked on the child. “They’ll be fine,” Gerson assured. “Might need a little medicine, but the others shouldn’t stir around too badly.” 

Dogamy turned. “We could probably head out…”

Gerson nodded. “I can carry Neck-Warmer still if need be.” 

“Right, let’s go then.” Undyne stepped towards the door, slipping her feet into a pair of laceless boots as she did so. “Heh, how much d’ya wanna bet Papyrus has everything set up and cleaned three times, even though we’re still earlier than we planned?”

“But of course,” Frisk interjected. “It has to be clean--” The sentence was cut off.

_Papyrus!’_

Undyne stopped, blinked, then turned towards the fusion.

“What just…”

Frisk jerked their hood down to hide their blushing face as they whined. Grillby shook his head. “This happens from time to time,” he explained. “Someone else had a comment to make.” 

Gerson shook his head, and got the child back up on his shoulders. “Come on, Neck-Warmer. Can’t hide there all day.” Frisk was willing to give it a try, regardless.

Undyne frowned in concern, but decided not to pursue the topic for now, instead turning back to the front door. 

“Let’s get going then, while I can still keep ahold of this guy…”


	7. Pretty

Papyrus stood just behind his bar table, absently cleaning an already pristine glass. He sighed, putting down the glass and removing his apron for a moment, checking for the fiftieth time that his white cotton t-shirt and dark blue jeans were still clean and crumb-free. Once again, his clothing passed his inspection, and put the apron back on, looking around the empty bar.

In preparation for the upcoming celebrations, he had closed the bar for the day, even sending his assistant bartender, the fire elemental Emerald, home. He had cleaned everything, made sure the tables were set just so, so everyone could gather together or spread out if they so wished.

He checked the clock. Still another hour until the others should be arriving with food in preparation for their guests. Normally, since the Canine Unit was out of town, he would at least have the pups to keep him company, but they were spending the day with Endogeny, so all he could do was wait.

There were faint voices outside, as others started to approach. “Really now…?” a woman’s voice asked, before there was laughter. “Oh, better set her down, she’s getting fussy.”

“All right, all right, easy now…”

As the doors started to open, the tall skeleton stepped out from around the bar. It was then that five little blurs darted through with loud squeals of joy, all heading to plow into his legs. 

Papyrus teetered for a moment, laughing as he attempted to regain his balance. The effort was ultimately futile however, and he fell backwards, thudding into the floor beneath him.

“Yes, I missed you too!” He grinned brightly, attempting to pet all of them at once. “But do not worry, there is more than enough Papyrus for everyone!

A moment later, the pups had managed to get onto his chest, several licking at him, before they were suddenly shoved off, yipping slightly as the floor greeted their rumps. Before anyone quite knew what happened, the only pup remaining was Canis. The pup looked up at him happily, seeming quite proud of herself as she sat on his chest.

“Canis…” Papyrus chided gently, “You should be nicer to your siblings! It is only natural that they too miss the great Papyrus!”

“...they had you longer last time. My turn.” The other pups looked at her in confusion, caught by surprise at her sudden assertion over him--or anything for that matter. 

“I suppose you did fall asleep rather quickly! It is nice to hear you speaking again though!” The skeleton reached up and softly scratched the pup behind the ears. The pup jerked, and then instantly melted, not moving aside from an occasional twitch of a leg, while the others whined, poking their heads up onto his chest as they watched. 

“Do not worry, Dogmatix, Beowulf, Dogtanian, and Lupus! The great Papyrus has not forgotten you!” With his free hand he began scratching at Lupus’s head. After a moment, he removed his hand from Canis and began attempting to distribute the scritches evenly between the pups. 

They clustered against him as the others found their way in. “Sorry,” Dogamy called. “I should have reined them in when we got closer.”

Dogaressa came up beside him, observing the tall skeleton quietly as the pups melted from the affection. “Hmm,” she hummed thoughtfully as more came in behind her. “So this is the one my pups have been begging to see again.” 

“Ah! Hello, Dogaressa! I would wave, but I’m a little short-handed as it is!” 

“So I see...I’m afraid we’ve yet to exhaust them of their energy, so you might have your hands rather full.”

Dogamy glanced over. “Muffet, think you could spare a hand or two?”

Muffet made a dramatic gasp as she stepped in. “Why, Sir. What do I look like to you? If anyone could literally give a hand, it’d be Mettaton.”

“My parts are not up to donation,” Mettaton called after her as he entered. 

“Ah! Hello everyone!” Papyrus called, struggling to get to his feet while simultaneously attempting to keep from disturbing the contented pups. “Apologies, it appears that the great Papyrus is currently in a pup-related bind! Alas, it would appear that I am once again too great for my own good!”

Grillby chuckled as he came in. “Just try to stay in one piece. I rather not try to recollect you after they’re done burying you in the nearby yards.”

“We won’t bury him!” Beowulf shouted grumpily.

Gerson snickered as he came in, Undyne walking beside him. “I don’t know. You did try to run off with some bones you saw at that Human museum.”

“That’s different!” Dogtanian whined, as Frisk kept their head down, trying to prolong having to look up.

“Looks like you shoulda stuck with warrior training after all!” The fish woman chortled. “Though I’m not sure I’ve got any tricks to help you get away from five puppies.”

“Never fear, the great Papyrus cannot help but prevail! They just took me by surprise, is all!”

“By surprise?” Undyne questioned. “Didn’t Mettaton or Alphys call and let you know they were early?”

Papyrus froze, then patted wildly at his pockets before looking up in dismay. 

“Oh no! I must have left so quickly to set up this morning, I forgot my phone at home! Any number of people may have attempted to call me, only to have their hopes shattered to the wind! This is terrible news!”

Grillby looked up from where he had helped Muffet to. “Is your home far? I’m sure we could hold down the fort if need be.”

The puppies gasped, and all of them clung to him in one manner or another. “He has to go!?”

“Not for long,” Papyrus attempted to reassure the puppies. “I merely need to get my phone! There are all manner of emergencies that could be happening now, at this very moment, that can only be dealt with by the great Papyrus!”

The puppies whined, but at a soft bark, four of them went back to their parents. Except for Canis, who seemed quite content with where she was settled. “Canis,” Dogamy called. She turned, and tilted her head, obviously wanting an explanation to why she had to leave her current spot. 

“Well, perhaps we can have it both ways!” Papyrus clambered to his feet, holding Canis in place so she didn’t fall. “My house is not very far from here, and I believe there is a playground on the way! Perhaps that would be a good place to bring the little ones while we wait for the others!”

Dogamy looked to his wife. “It would drain them of their energy and make them more manageable.”

“Perhaps,” she agreed, watching her pups out of the corner of her eye. 

“Well then, let’s go!” Papyrus began to stride towards the door, but paused for a moment. “Erm, the others were planning on bringing food, so there’s not really anything like that here yet. But! There are plenty of drinks if you want some, as well as juice, and I think I even have a case of spiced rum that Sans hasn’t gone through yet! Help yourselves to whatever you like!”

Muffet giggled. “Thank you, Sir. We’ll manage one way or the other.”

“I think I’ll tag along,” Dogaressa said. “Five pups are a handful, especially if you’re not used to the numbers.”

“Certainly! The more the merrier! Now, Canis, are you ready to go? We must hurry, before the situation grows any more dire!”

Canis looked up at him, and simply snuggled down with a little yawn, obviously not seeing anything dire. “She’s ready,” Dogaressa stated simply, tapping her foot to get the other four to settle. “Come now, behave. We won’t get anywhere if you end up tripping him.”

“Have fun, I’ll call you if the others start arriving before you do!” Undyne called as the skeleton exited, followed closely by the canines. The warrior then looked down at Alexander in her arms. 

“Well, little guy? You gonna be good if I let you down?”

Alexander just stared up at her and Undyne gave a soft smile.

“That’s my boy.” She settled into one of the chairs, leaving her son in her lap, but giving him space to leave it if he so chose.The boy looked around curiously. There were so many others that he had not had time to really notice everyone. His gaze went from face to face, but it finally stopped on Rotisa. 

Alexander’s eyes widened at the sight of the little hybrid Monster. After a moment, he placed his little hands on the table and pulled himself up onto it after a few moments struggle. Now seated, he cocked his head to the side and continued to stare.

Muffet glanced up from her little one, and smiled. “What are you doing up there, little Sir?” she asked gently, while Rotisa gave a little grunt, and began reaching aimlessly to claim something in her flaming hands.

Alexander didn't look up from his staring. His lips moved slowly and noises began to emit from his mouth, though they were nothing but random nonsense. He kept at it though, until finally, something coherent escaped.

“Pretty…” 

Muffet made an endearing little laugh. “Oh, that’s adorable,” she cooed, adjusting her hold so that he could better see her. 

Grillby’s flames flickered in amusement, and he turned to look at Undyne. “She’s only a few weeks old, don’t tell me I already have to start beating off boys with a stick,” he teased. 

Undyne gave a merry laugh in response, while Alexander crawled to the edge of the table closest to the infant and hesitantly held out his arms towards her. 

“You might want to get a big stick, Grillby. He’s probably gonna grow into it.” Her grin turned sheepish. “Although, if he’s like me or Alphys when it comes to this kind of thing, you may not have to worry.”

Gerson snickered as he came over. “Urchin’s got a point there. She and Alphys needed a little kid to get them together after all.”

“Gerson!” Frisk cried out, jerking their head up as they looked down at him, the ear fins lowering while Rotisa’s purple eyes finally caught sight of the boy.

Alexander froze at the baby’s attention, his arms still outstretched. Then, he jabbered at her for a moment in baby talk, his tone vaguely questioning.

Rotisa cooed, and then began reaching for him. Muffet giggled. “Rotisa, are you already flirting with the gentlemen?” The spider shifted her position so that the children could better see and reach each other. The girl’s tiny fingers got closer to his green scales, her little flames causing light to dance along his form.

Hesitantly, Alexander touched the infant’s arm with one hand, while the other inspected the hand Rotisa had stretched out. He gave a squeak of surprise at the feeling of the warm flames on his smooth scales, but did not withdraw the contact. His eyes widened, almost impossibly and his pupils grew until only a trace amount of white at the edges of his eyes remained visible.

Grillby choked back a laugh. “Maybe I won’t have to beat him off...she’s already broke him.” 

“Grillby!” Muffet scolded--though it didn’t have much impact as she giggled, while Rotisa tried to grab at his fingers.

Alexander let her, rubbing his other hand up and down her arm, seemingly fascinated by the colored flames that licked his scales. Then, he crawled forward, depositing himself into Muffet’s lap to give himself better access to the source of his fascination.

Muffet gave a little grunt at the sudden addition of the child falling onto her lap. “Well, you’re a big boy,” she managed, using an extra pair of arms to lift him up so she could have a more comfortable position, before putting him down again. Rotisa was fussy as they moved, but then gave a sound of content as things settled. 

“Alexander!” Undyne stood, coming over to Muffet with a stern look on her face. “You can’t just throw yourselves into people’s laps like that!”

Alexander whimpered, trying to hide himself behind Muffet’s arms at Undyne’s angry voice. Rotisa was startled however, and her flames began to quiver and dim as a shrill whine emitted from her. 

“Oh dear…” Gerson murmured as Dogamy wisely covered his ears. 

Undyne froze at the sound, suddenly unsure of herself since there was another child involved. Alexander however, looked to the hybrid Monster, distracted from the idea of his mother’s anger. He cooed softly and gently patted the baby’s head, while emitting a jumble of words that might have been an attempt at “there, there”.

The cries had started, but as Muffet held her closer, with Grillby leaning over them, and with Alexander’s additional attempts, she was soothed before she got too out of hand. Soft sighs of relief came throughout the room as Dogamy warily lowered his hands. Rotisa whimpered and whined a little longer, but eventually, she settled as she grabbed at the boy’s hand again.

Undyne relaxed, then backed away slowly.

“Uh, maybe I’ll let you handle them… Just let me know if Alexander gets out of hand and I’ll take him…”

Muffet gave a sympathetic smile. “It’s all right,” she assured. “With those pups, we’ve learned to handle numbers.”

Grillby nodded as he reached over, stroking his daughter’s head. “I’m sure we can keep things down to a dull roar.” 

“Alright then.” Undyne glanced over to the bar, then headed to it. “Well, don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna take Papyrus up on his offer. He’s got some good stuff back there. You guys want anything?”

\----

“Stay on the playground!” Dogaressa called as she stepped into the shade, resisting her canine instincts as she found a bench out of the sun’s heat. How her pups ignored that and continued to play was beyond her. The only one who seemed smart enough to avoid the heat was little Canis, who refused to leave her new resting spot. 

“Canis, you should really go and play with your siblings!” Papyrus looked down at the pup snuggled firmly against his chest. “I am certain you can have a lot of fun out there!”

She looked over to where her siblings were playing. “...too bright over there.” Her eyes narrowed as she watched her siblings play out in the hot sun on the playground that would either burn her paws, give her splinters, or both. 

“I suppose it _is_ getting close to summertime…” Papyrus relented. “Are you sure you do not want to play on the swings or something?”

Canis shook her head, and simply stated, “Comfy,” to get her point across.

Dogaressa snorted. “What is he? An oversized pillow?”

The pup slowly turned to look at her mother, and stared for several long seconds.

“Friend pillow.” 

“Wowie! Friend pillow already? I haven’t even made you spaghetti yet! I must have made a really good first impression!”

Canis looked up at him, and tilted her head. “...what’s that?” 

“It means I must have made you happy when we first met! And what a coincidence, I was very happy to meet you all too! I would have come and visited again sooner but… Sans wouldn’t let me.”

“Why?” she asked simply as she adjusted her position in his hold to make herself more comfortable.

“He was just worried about silly things!” Papyrus explained. “He was worried that bad things might happen if I came and visited. How could anything bad come from visiting my little friends?” He poked Canis’s chest lightly to emphasize his point.

The pup grabbed at his hand as he did so in order to claim it, giving a grunt of agreement...or content, it was hard to tell. “...she’s warmed up to you quite a bit,” Dogaressa mused.

“I have said it before, and I will say it again!” Papyrus declared. “None can resist the charm of a smiling skeleton!”

Dogaressa made a sound of light amusement. “The fact that you had her warm up to you on the first day is the impressive part. I was surprised she didn’t hide out somewhere watching you play with the others.” Canis had tuned out the conversation, focused more on trying to figure out how to get more petting out of her current snuggle spot.

“Does she hide often?” Papyrus asked, absently rubbing Canis’s tummy. “I remember she did seem more interested in snuggling than the playing…”

“From strangers, certainly. It took her a week to get used to anyone outside of the Underground.” She was quiet; a faint smile appearing as her daughter practically melted under the affection. “Though...it stands to reason that she prefers this over running around.” 

“She is a little smaller than the rest, isn’t she? Is she the youngest then?”

Dogaressa shook her head. “No. They’re all of the same litter. Lupus is technically the youngest. It was obviously a large litter, and, well…” She gave a shrug. There was no term for it in the Monster Kingdom, though she knew humans had a word for what Canis was--not that she cared to use it.

“Ah, I see! Well fortunate for her then, that Papyrus is more than willing to give out maximum hugs and cuddles! It’s just like last time! Except that she’s still awake…”

Dogaressa snorted. “If she has her way, you’ll still be holding her when she does fall asleep.” 

“Well she can’t fall asleep yet! There’s a whole party planned! Everyone’s been very excited to set this up, even Toriel’s going to be there, and she hasn’t left the house in a month!”

“Hear that, Canis?” Dogaressa said, her gaze going briefly to the playground, and then back. “You need to stay awake for the party.” Canis gave a little grunt in response that vibrated so much that it could have been a purr. 

“Anyways, Dogaressa! How have you been? I only heard you last time I visited, and I don’t get to see our you often, except when she’s dropping off the pups! I haven’t had the chance for a good talk in quite some time, and this is an anomaly that the great Papyrus can condone no longer!”

“I’ve been doing well,” she assured. “Unlike my husband, my magic wasn’t drained, so while I was running a bit ragged the past few months, I was able to manage.” She shrugged. “Life goes on, I don’t have too much to tell--well, aside from the mountain of trouble my pups can get into, but we’ll be here until Winter if I started on that.” She smirked. “And Muffet wouldn’t like that.”

“I’m sure that’s true!” Papyrus laughed. “Over here, your pups can be quite a handful as well! Fortunately, they have had the great Papyrus’s consistent aid and attention, since you and Dogamy are gone so often, especially recently.”

“I’ve heard. It sounds like there’s still a few Beast Monsters roaming around, unfortunately. How has that been going?” 

“Sans told me that they’ve nearly finished calming them all down! He called me last night, and he hopes that this might be the last reintegration trip they need to make before everything calms down, and it might even be shorter than last time! Which is good, because last time they were out for three whole months. Apparently, there were some ones that were really difficult to convince before they saw reason.”

Confusion and bewilderment came to the female, but as she started to question it, she halted, remembering how her own Sans and Papyrus would behave toward one another. She breathed out, and smiled, shaking her head. Of course… “That’s good to hear,” she murmured. “Sounds like everything is finally calming down for everyone.”

“It is! And I’m very proud of Sans, taking on such an important responsibility as this! Of course, it would go much easier with my involvement, but it’s good for him to work on his people skills, especially now that he’s our leader!”

Dogaressa made an odd chuckle like sound. “You may want to insist on him keeping up that work afterwards…” She couldn’t exactly tell him what Sans was really doing…

“I most certainly will! Though, I hope he can do it somewhere closer to home, I do miss him while he’s gone. The house… isn’t really the same without his incidental music and infuriating mess.” Papyrus drooped slightly as he spoke, his hand ceasing it’s petting of the pampered child in his grasp for a moment.

Dogaressa was quiet, while Canis jerked her head up in confusion, before looking up at the skeleton, whining as she rolled over, and nuzzled his chest. “I’m sure it’ll be soon, if this is the last of them,” Dogaressa murmured. “And then he’ll be back, and five minutes later--if you’re the Papyrus I know--you’ll be half-jokingly wondering why you missed him in the first place as he starts spouting off puns again.” 

Papyrus resumed petting Canis at her whine, glancing down briefly.

“Sorry about that.” He looked back at Dogaressa. “He uh, only came back a couple days ago. I didn’t expect he’d be leaving again so quick. And such terrible timing too! Right when you all came in.” He seemed to brighten. “But you’re right! He’ll be back soon enough… maybe his people skills will advance to the point where he stops telling puns at every opportunity?”

“You’ll have your work cut out for you,” Dogaressa warned with amusement. “Seeing as our Sans still manages to slip a pun or two in every now and again. Not that Frisk appreciates the headache afterwards, but that’s just the point. It’s like breathing for him, he doesn’t know how to turn it off.” 

“Well, there’s always hope! For everyone! Even my brother!” Papyrus declared. “Besides, he’s hardly had the time to be lazy at all for a long time now, I’m sure he can overcome his pun addiction with the aid of the great Papyrus!”

“Here’s to hoping,” Dogaressa chortled as Canis settled back into her spot. “The good news is that, at the very least, someone’s love for puns hasn’t infected the children on our side as of yet.” 

“That is good news! In fact-” 

Papyrus was cut off as his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket with the arm not supporting Canis, and held it up to the side of his head.

“Hello? Undyne!” he paused for a moment. “Alright, we will be back shortly then! See you soon!”

He hung up, and returned the phone to his pocket. 

“Good news! Apparently the others are on their way, they should be at my pub anytime now!”

The canine nodded, and stood, clapping her hands. “Pups! Front and center!” There were whines of protests. “Don’t you go giving me that. Go down the slide one more time, and come along now.” Canis looked up to watch her siblings race for the tallest slide, but made no comment about leaving.

“Don’t worry little ones!” Papyrus called. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty more opportunities for outings like this! But there is a party coming and many people to meet! You’re not going to want to miss out on that!”

Sure enough, a flurry of white tumbled out of one of the tunnel slides, with pups all tangled up in one another. With little yips, they freed themselves, and raced on over to their mother and Papyrus, jumping around energetically--though--not as much as they had before they came to the park. 

“Well then,” Papyrus adjusted his grip on Canis, then grinned at Dogaressa. “Shall we?”


	8. Tables Have Turned

Gerson raised his head, ignoring the clamor around him as he finished his drink at the table in the corner. He had been lost in his thoughts, but, upon spotting Undyne, he rose, and started to make his way over. “Urchin,” he called. “Care to spare a few words with an old fossil?” 

“Of course!” Undyne squeezed Alphys’s hand gently, then went after Gerson. Alphys looked after her for a moment, then turned back to her conversation with the Mettatons.

“What’s up, that you gotta haul me away from everybody to talk about?” the warrior questioned, leaning against the wall and staring at the turtle curiously.

“Well, between everything being set on fire, exploding, and going to Hell last time, I never got the slightest chance to ask you.” He folded his arms. “What you did in battle...what in the blazing tarnation was that?”

“You mean when I transformed?” Undyne asked, a broad smile spreading across her face. 

“Whatever you want to call it,” Gerson replied. “But yes. Care to explain? Because mine certainly didn’t do that.” 

“It’s thanks to this thing.” Undyne pulled up her sleeve and tapped at her DT recycler with a claw. “Chara told me, after I met her that I was capable of… what you saw. My Undying form. But I can only use it because I have Determination, like the Humans do.”

Gerson blinked. “Well...I think I’m getting too old for these surprises.” He chuckled. “You’re saying my little Urchin’s got Determination? I turn my shell for one second, and look at what you get yourself into.” The smile faded away as he shook his head. “Good grief, Urchin. That...I have no idea how to actually respond to that.”

There was a chuckle from the fish-woman. 

“Can’t say I was expecting it either. Hah, and you should have seen the look on Alphys’s face when she told me. It’s very useful though. Hell, it’s probably the only reason I’m still alive.”

“I’m not one for prying,” Gerson said...but then he smirked. “Unless there’s a good story to tell. Come on, Urchin. Do you have one for me this time?”

“Oh how the tables have turned,” Undyne teased. “What’s next? You gonna start sitting on my lap, staring up at me in awe and hero-worship?”

The old warrior dead-panned. “You can keep dreaming on that one, little Urchin.” He gave a sly smirk. “Besides, I think I’m remembering some childhood stories of yours....”

“Anyways!” Undyne interrupted quickly. “Story! Yes!” She took a moment to collect herself. “What was it… four years ago now, I think. Started getting reports of attacks in the cities around the mountain. Shadowy creatures, nothing we’d ever seen before.

“Turned out, they were looking for Chara. Heh, we didn’t know about her back then, she was still just hiding in Frisk’s head. I saw her come out once or twice though, Frisk’s eyes would go red whenever she was in control. 

“Anyways, The guy who was controlling the shadow creatures eventually made an appearance, while we were trying to evacuate the city. He was strong… I’ve never felt anything like his magic signature before. We all fought him. Together. Alphys, Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Asgore. All at once. Even Chara joined in when her magic surfaced. 

“Apparently, we won in the end. Chara was the only one who made it that far, the rest of us were taken down before then. Alphys got shot down and I took a blast meant to finish her off. Probably would have killed us both, but the attack activated my Determination. Alphys said it was probably lying dormant in me until I needed it.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Determination is still toxic to Monsters… it would have killed me while trying to save me. That’s where this thing comes in.”

Her eye lit up in joy. 

“Because of that, not only does it keep me alive, but it keeps my Determination from becoming too toxic to me, even when I have it flowing through me, powering that other form. Then, I’m stronger, faster, and way harder to take down.”

Her grin faded slightly. 

“Not all good though, I’ve become… dependant on this thing. If it ever stops working, or something happens to it…” She shrugged. “Well, you saw what happened when we met. If it wasn’t for Alphys, I woulda been dust long before Mettaton got there.”

Gerson nodded slowly. “You can’t tell on the surface, but your world has its rough spots as well...but…” He smiled. “You’re as stubborn as ever, aren’t you now?”

“Damn straight,” Undyne declared. “It’s not all frolicing through the fields of friendship here, but hell if we’re gonna let it get us down. Especially now that you brought Chara back… brought some new life around here. And I’m not just talking about her and Rias.”

“I know what you mean,” Gerson murmured. “Even our Muffet is better for it. She took that hard, but look at that...back to her usual self now that everyone’s safe again.” Gerson looked around, relaxing at the quiet clamor, before frowning. “...where’s the darn Neck-Warmer?”

Papyrus, who had been passing close by with Canis in his arms and another pup on his shoulder, perked at that. 

“Is someone missing?”

“Seems our little Frisk has gone into hiding again,” Gerson replied in slight exasperation, shaking his head.

“Well then! The great Papyrus is the best at finding missing things! Worry not Gerson! I shall find our missing friend! Come on pups!” And with that, Papyrus dashed off, eager to begin.

\----

Frisk raised their head slightly, peeking between their fingers as they hid beneath a table. _‘So,’_ their Sans murmured. _‘What are we doing here?’_

_‘Hiding…?’_

_‘From?’_

_‘...them...too many…’_

_‘And what else, Kiddo?’_

_‘...’_

_‘Buddy…’_ Sans groaned in exasperation.

_‘I just...I just don’t...feel right talking to...the others. You...it...feels wrong.’_

_‘Wrong?’_ Asgore questioned.

_‘It feels...bad...I don’t want to do that to you…’_

_‘Child…’_ Toriel started. _‘Are you avoiding them due to our presence?’_ There was no response. 

_‘Frisk…’_ Alphys started. _‘...you think we’re going to feel bad if you interact with our...counterparts?’_

The fusion nodded their head. _‘Punk...you do realize how silly that sounds, right?’_

_‘Never fear!’_ Papyrus suddenly exclaimed. _‘We shall head forth. After all, Frisk, nothing negative can happen by being near two of me!’_

Frisk barely registered that the skeleton took control, and before Frisk could do anything about it, they slid out, jumped up, and waved their hand. “Over here!”

_‘PAPPY!’_ they squealed in alarm. 

“Ah-ha!” the other Papyrus exclaimed, whirling and sprinting towards the fusion. “I knew I could find you!” Before the child had a chance to run, Papyrus had transferred Canis to one arm, and scooped them up with the other with a triumphant “Nyeh-heh-heh!”

Canis jerked her head up as the fusion yelped their surprise, and then surveyed her new situation of only having one arm as her resting spot. The fusion stared up, but their right eye shone brightly. 

“I see you gave up hiding the moment you saw the great Papyrus!” the skeleton proclaimed. “You must have known I would have found you sooner or later! And you were correct!”

The little fusion was at a loss, and so, their own Papyrus continued. “We’ll always find them eventually! --Though it’s easier to do when you’re along for the ride…” 

The native Papyrus blinked, then seemed to brighten. 

“But of course! And you all should be careful about hiding! Gerson was worried about you, and we can’t have that now!”

There was a laugh, and the pitch changed. “Sorry, Kiddo’s not used to the crowd.” The fusion covered their face as their left eye began to glow, embarrassed by the brothers speaking out. “They’re actually still a little nervous about talking with the rest of you...but, if you’re anything like my Bro--and I imagine you are…”

There was a chuckle. “I’m sure you can help turn our Frisk around.” 

Frisk whined at them.

“Ah, I see! Well, there is nothing to be afraid of! We are all friends here! And you shall stay up here with me until you accept that! Victory again, for the great Papyrus!”

_‘Whhyyyyyyyy?’_ Frisk whined, while they heard soft laughter from the others.

_‘Look, Punk. You’re blowing this out of proportion...now have fun with these guys, because face it, they’re going to be just as great as us...or I’m going to have a word with them!’_

_‘S--so long as that ‘word’ doesn’t turn into you t--trying to smash things again…’_ Alphys mumbled.

Frisk started to tune out their conversation, and then slowly peeked through their fingers, the magic still faintly showing in their eyes as the brothers remained close at hand. 

Papyrus adjusted his hold on them to carry them more comfortably, then began making his way back towards the bar. 

“Now then! Is anyone thirsty?”

“Yes!” Dogmatix exclaimed from Papyrus’s shoulder, tail wagging harshly, while Canis yawned, and nodded. 

The fusion shrugged--before an energetic nod came. It seemed the brothers were going to keep up their position until the child finally took matters into their own hands. 

...it _was_ better than staying under a table…

“Wonderful! I have plenty of water and juice for you here! More than enough to defeat any thirsty throats you might have!”

Once Frisk had a drink, they had a little bit of interaction with the energetic skeleton--enough for their other souls to be satisfied and to draw back--making sure they didn’t push too much. Once they had regained their freedom, they wandered off.

Not long after, from beyond the old saloon-style doors that indicated the entrance to the Great Papyrus, voices could be heard.

“Mom, are you sure about this? Maybe you-”

“Do not be foolish, Frisk. I am not going to miss out on this opportunity. Besides, it has been some time since I left the house. It will do me some good.”

“He’s not completely wrong, Tori. You know you haven’t been yourself for a while now.”

“Which is why I need the change of pace, Asgore. Come now, I thought it was my job to worry about all of you.”

Conversations quieted for the most part as heads turned expectantly to the door. The young ghosts rose up from where they had been hovering about, and even the little Frisk glanced over to see what was going on. 

The space around the doors darkened for a moment, as Asgore’s form appeared behind it. The former king pushed the doors open and stepped through, moving slightly to the side and keeping it open.. 

Toriel was next, her plain blue robe fluttering slightly in the breeze outside. She was leaning heavily on an ornate walking stick, but still managed a genuine smile at everyone. Frisk came next, carrying Rias in his arms, followed by Chara and Kid, the ghostly form of the girl hiding just behind her boyfriend.

“Hello everyone,” Toriel greeted. “It is good to see you all again.”

A clamor of greetings met them, mixed in with yips of excitement. The younger Chara watched quietly, eyes locked on Toriel, while the little fusion watched by the bar, ready to duck away once they were overwhelmed again. “All right, settle,” Grillby called over the ruckus. “Let them find a place to sit down.” 

“I cannot say I would mind that…” Toriel admitted, walking into the room, Asgore hovering right next to her. As she took her first step though, the cane slipped on the floor and she fell forward with a cry. Asgore just managed to catch her before she hit the ground, her stick clattering to the floor.

“Mom, are you alright?” The brown-eyed Frisk asked in concern, stepping close. The Boss Monster looked up at him with a shaky smile. 

“I am fine… I just misjudged my step, that is all.”

However, a few readied souls had already rushed over. The ghosts of Chara and Alma hovered anxiously a few feet away, and even the young Frisk had hurried to her. “Are you sure--” It seemed their own words were cut off as several others tried to voice an opinion, only for Frisk to step back to avoid being a noticeable stuttering mess. 

“I am sure,” Toriel assured, though her voice was faint. “I am just-”

“You have just been using too much energy, my dear.” Asgore lifted Toriel with seemingly no effort and carried her, bridal-style, to the nearest table.

“Asgore…”

“Don’t ‘Asgore’ me,” he said sternly, seating her gently. “Having Rias took a lot out of you, and you know you were drained well before that. This settles it, until you’re feeling like yourself again, I’m feeding Rias.”

“That’s not-”

“My magic can feed her just as well as yours does,” Asgore interrupted, kissing her brow. “You know that. Besides, she needs her mother at her full capacity. There needs to be someone around the house who knows what’s going on.”

The small Frisk let out a laugh. “Even here it’s not different…” The tone was gentler than usual. It was soft, but it was still clear. Though despite that, the child was trying to cover their face as someone’s snicker of amusement came through. 

_‘Hah!’_ Undyne declared. _‘I so called this! Frisk didn’t even last twenty seconds with you two! How much gold is that you owe me now, Asgore?’_

_‘...I did not accept any of your bets.’_

_‘W-well, if he did...you’d owe him about five hundred…’_ Alphys mumbled.

“Why are you making bets?” Frisk muttered into their hands.

_‘Wait, hold off the bets!’_ Papyrus cried out. _‘They have a child!’_

_‘Sounds like you two really did get back together...if what we saw was anything to go by…’_ Sans mused.

_‘Gorey…I...I’m not sure if we should...go closer...’_

Toriel looked around for a moment. “I am sorry for causing a disturbance,” She apologized. “I will be alright, though some food would not go amiss. Speaking of...” She turned to her family. “Frisk, please pass me Rias, then help your father get everything out of the van, okay?”

The boy nodded in confirmation, handing his little sister tenderly to Toriel, who took her gently. Then, he and Asgore turned and left the building. 

Toriel’s gaze fell upon the little Frisk, and she smiled.

“It is good to see you again, little one.”

Frisk dipped their head, their gaze struggling to stay on her, when Papyrus wanted to see the child she held. “Sorry that we were early…” 

“It is no trouble. I am glad for the chance to see you all again. Though I do wish I was a bit more… presentable for the occasion.”

The child’s tone changed, seeming oddly relaxed as the blue eye began to glow slightly. “Can’t be helped on our part. Timing is not our forte---” The child stopped, and their right eye flared up. “It would be if someone wasn’t so lazy though.” Frisk jerked, blinking a little, and then dipped their head sheepishly. “...sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for, child,” Toriel soothed. “I assume that was one of us just now?”

They nodded. “They’re all here...that was...Sans and Papyrus,” they mumbled, a bit of a blush on their face all the same as their eyes seemed to light up slightly. 

“Well, it is good to know that they are well, they must be, if they are arguing as usual.” Toriel gave a quiet, amused laugh while her son and husband walked back in, carrying large, cardboard boxes and placing them on some of the tables in the middle of the room.

There was an odd laugh that escaped the child. “Oh no, you should hear those two when Sans slips out a pun--” Frisk brought a hand to their head, and then stepped back, uncertain if they were in the way. 

“Oh, I can imagine.”

“Well, everyone,” Asgore spoke, pulling out containers of food from his box, while Frisk took out paper plates and plastic cutlery. “I believe we have everything ready now, hopefully there will be enough food, but please, feel free to help yourselves. Nastablook will be a little late, but I believe he will be here as well. In the meantime, this is a celebration, so let us enjoy ourselves, hmm?”

There was another clamor of agreement, and Frisk took that moment to slip away in that commotion, wanting a breather, and to give the others a little more time to settle. However, the ghosts stayed nearby, with Alma looking curiously at the Human boy, tilting their head to the side as they studied him. 

The Human pulled out another stack of plates before noticing the little ghost’s attention. He gave a friendly wave.

“Hey, you’re Alma, right? Sorry, there’s kinda three red ghosts around right now, and two of them are technically my sister, so…”

They nodded, returning the wave by wiggling their fingers at him and lowering themselves closer.

“Got a lot of food coming in here.” Frisk grinned, pulling out a pie dish that had been resting under the plates. “I think Napstablook’s even bringing some stuff you guys can eat, if that’s interesting.”

They gasped, and quite literally lit up, flying in a fast circle around him, before covering their mouth, quietly laughing as their hovering movements slowed.

Frisk laughed. 

“You like that, do ya? Guess you probably don’t get to eat as often as us with bodies, huh? I hear the ol’ Blookster’s pretty good at cooking that kind of stuff… not that I’d know for sure, given the whole... incorporeal thing…”

Alma nodded energetically, and, to prove their point, they suddenly flew across the area to their own Napstablook, and hugged them, snuggling into them. “Oh--ohhh…..” And just like that, the ghost vanished...not that Alma relinquished them. 

“Quite energetic, aren’t you? Good to see you’re none the worse for wear for the whole kidnapping thing…” Frisk shook his head. “Three Frisks in one room and all three of em have been kidnapped. Good to see some things are universal constants.”

The other two Frisks gave shudders, with the fusion’s tail flicking, their furred feet attempting to claw into the wood as their ear fins drooped back. The light in their eyes sharpened, whereas Alma dimmed, before coming back fully with a little burst of energy, and flying off to Grillby. He looked to them and patted their head, before rummaging in the pack he had brought along.


	9. Our Wish was Granted

Meanwhile, Asgore had finished setting out the food, and most of the others had gathered around the table, talking and serving themselves. Asgore brought a plate of food out to Toriel, who smiled at him gratefully.

“Be sure to eat it all, dear,” the Boss Monster rumbled affectionately. “You have a lot of lost magic to replenish.”

“Well, at this rate, I’m going to have to rescind my role as mother,” Toriel teased. “It seems you’ve all got your eyes on my job.”

“Well, someone has to make sure you get pampered too.” Asgore winked, before turning and heading back to the table. 

Toriel smiled fondly after him, then took note of the red ghost hovering nearby. 

“Hello, small one, I do not believe we have met?”

The young Chara raised their head, drifting a little closer without saying anything. It was hard to see any actual expression on their face, but the energy that came off them was neutral--though there was an odd anxious excitement rushing through them as they looked to her.

“Hmm.” The boss Monster took a bite of her food, enjoying the taste of the home cooked meal. “It seems that you know me, at least. Am I wrong?”

They hovered, wondering whether they should nod in agreement to the first part, or shake their head to the second, but their form had brightened at Toriel’s response. 

“I shall take that as a yes, then.” Toriel studied the soul for a moment. “I remember..” she hesitated. “Muffet said she was taking care of two souls who were captured the last time she was here. She said one of them… was Chara. Would you be…?”

They dipped their head with a slow nod, inching a little closer as they did so. They knew they could talk to her, but...they honestly had no idea what to say to a duplicate of their adoptive mother--especially when the actual one was technically just a few feet away.

“It is good to see you are well, child.” Toriel’s gaze was gentle on the little ghost as she spoke. “I do not mean to assume but, if you are like my daughter,” she glanced briefly over to where the other red ghost hovered close to Kid, and was whispering something into his ear-hole. “Well.” The white-furred hand not holding Rias tightened for a moment.

“I am just glad you are safe,” she finished.

The ghost dimmed with a sound of concern, but then nodded, a wave of hesitance coming over them that was far too easy to be picked up on. They wanted to stay and somehow help, but at the same time, they wanted to fly back over to where they felt safe with the spider and elemental. 

Toriel gave a brief shake of her head to clear it. 

“I am sorry, do not mind me. I am afraid I am a little less together than usual. Perhaps I have been overextending myself these past few days.” 

Chara seemed to frown in thought...before lowering down and giving a very improvised hug. ...unsatisfied with their handiwork, the ghost flew off, and came back, attempting to shove the fusion Frisk along to remedy their shortcomings. 

Toriel raised a brow at that, smiling apologetically at the child who had been all but dragged over.

“I am sorry… I’m not quite sure what they’re trying to do.”

Frisk stared at the red ghost, who leaned close, muttering in the fusion’s ear. The fusion’s ear fins twitched, and a soft, fond smile appeared briefly, while the ghost turned away, as if they weren’t paying attention.

The fusion, regardless, came over...and gently hugged the boss monster. 

Toriel gave a surprised hum, and untangled a hand from her child reaching it down to tousle the little Frisk’s hair fondly.

“Thank you, little one.” Then, she raised her head, looking to her daughter’s counterpart. “And I assume you had something to do with this as well?” she asked with a smile.

The ghost glanced over, but didn’t reply, while the fusion threw them a look, a soft laugh coming from them. “Chara…” 

“Stubborn as ever, I see,” Toriel murmured in amusement. “At least I know that you can actually speak now.”

The ghost turned their back to them with a pout, though Rotisa’s sudden cry instantly jerked them to attention as they whipped around, briefly flaring up in alarm, only to dim down again as they saw that the little girl was only demanding some food...and attention. 

As if in response to Rotisa, Rias began to cry softly. She wasn’t very loud, but it pulled Toriel’s attention to her. She began rocking softly back and forth in her chair, making gentle soothing noises. When that didn’t appear to work, she began to hum an old, very familiar tune to the child. After a few moments Rias settled, staring up at her mother with wide, green eyes. 

Chara and the younger Frisk froze, turning back toward the mother, knowing the tune far too well. The young ghost hovered closer, looking at the child in amazement and wonder. 

“Green eyes…” Toriel murmured, caressing her baby’s head gently. “It has been so long…”

The fusion looked up, tilting their head. “Green eyes…?” they questioned gently.

“Chara,” Toriel looked to the fusion in light confusion. “When she fell down the first time, centuries ago.”

The fusion blinked, and slowly tilted their head the other way--even the ghost seemed to look back in slight bewilderment. 

“Was it not the same for you?” Toriel questioned.

The fusion slowly shook their head. “Chara…” the tone was soft as they glanced back to the red child. “She always had red eyes…”

“I see,” Toriel said after a moment, gazing back towards her daughter’s counterpart. “My Chara… she did not have red eyes till she shared her body with Frisk. And when she gained her form, she seemed to prefer those to her old eye color.” She sighed softly. “And so we find yet another difference, small though it may be.”

The fusion slowly nodded. “Just enough to draw lines--but just enough to blur them as well…” 

Toriel let out a soft laugh. “So many strange things have happened since we left the Underground. I would never have dreamed that any of this would be possible.” She shook her head slowly. “It seems life can throw surprises at you, no matter how old you are.”

There was a huff. “Indeed,” was the vague reply. 

Rias began to fuss, crying quietly again. Toriel swiftly returned her attention to her daughter, humming that same old tune again until she quieted.

“I wonder if there was some magic in that music box,” Toriel mused, still rocking slightly, rubbing at Rias’s head with a thumb. “It certainly sent you and Asriel to sleep faster than I’d ever seen before, and it still seems to have a calming effect on children.” 

“...it certainly helped,” the young Frisk mumbled softly, bits of memory playing that weren’t entirely theirs.

“I remember when he was born,” Toriel whispered, her eyes going dim in memory. “Fifty years after we were sealed Underground. Gorey and I… just hadn’t had a chance to try sooner, it took a long time to get everyone under some semblance of order after we lost so many. He was our little hope, that we could survive, could live down in the Underground. But that hope would always be… tainted.

Tears began forming at the edges of her eyes.

“Funny, isn’t it? We prayed that one day he might see the surface, feel the wind on his fur, the sun on his face. Our wish was granted… and it killed him.” Her shoulders began to shake.

“I have Frisk. I have Chara, and now, I have Rias. I am so grateful for them all but... I miss Asriel so much.”

Something pressed against her leg, and the little ghost hovered in an anxious circle, debating, before hugging her shoulder, while the fusion buried their face in her robe, hugging her tightly, biting their lip as a mixture of several overwhelming emotions came over them.

The white-furred Monster lowered Rias into her lap, then placed one hand on the little fusion’s shoulder, while the other wrapped loosely around the ghost at her shoulder.

“I am… sorry…” Toriel sobbed, trying to get herself under control. 

The little Frisk shook their head against her, with every soul wanting to reach out, and help in some way. The fusion made a soothing noise, sacrificing a bit of their embrace, in order to rest their hand on Toriel’s. 

After a few moments, Toriel settled, blinking away the remaining tears. She squeezed her son’s counterpart’s hand slightly, as well as the ghost at her shoulder with her other arm. 

“Thank you… both of you,” she murmured.

\----

On the other side of the room, Alma whispered to Napstablook, who flew over to Grillby and Muffet, mumbling to them quietly. “Alma was wondering if they could go on the roof...there’s starting to be too much going on for them…”

Muffet looked to Alma sympathetically, but was hesitant. “I’m not so sure…”

“It is just the roof,” Grillby reasoned. “If there’s trouble, they can come right back down.”

“And I can watch them…” Napstablook reasoned.

“Then I...suppose…”

The ghost smiled, and then grabbed some papers and a box of crayons, before they and Alma vanished through the ceiling. 

“Interesting…” Alphys muttered to herself as she watched the two phase through the roof. “I wonder if ours were able to do that once, or if these ghosts are special too…”

“I’m afraid we can’t help you there,” Grillby stated as he adjusted the blanket around Rotisa, as she kept snaking free of it with her multiple arms wiggling around. “We only know what they show us--and they can catch themselves by surprise…”

Muffet giggled. “But Alma had such an endearing look on their face when they found they could actually pick up small items.” 

Alphys started, then looked at the couple sheepishly.

“O-oh, I um… I didn’t realize I said that… out loud…”

Muffet smiled. “No worries,” she said, her smile broadening as Rotisa got her arm back out. “You silly little girl, there’s nothing for you to grab right now.” 

Alphys flicked her gaze over to the bar, checking on Alexander who was seated upon it, and appeared to be having a very intense conversation with an empty bottle. 

“I-its just interesting, how much is different between our worlds, you know? I mean… I wouldn’t have thought there would be so many… differences in how everything works. Maybe sometime I’ll have to go over there, see if I can study it more. M-maybe it’ll even help me understand how things work here a little better.”

“You’re certainly welcomed at any time,” Grillby assured.

Muffet nodded. “We had enjoyed your company when you were here…”

Alphys ducked her head sheepishly. 

“O-oh… thanks. I’ll be busy for the next few weeks I think… I have to build Chara a new body. Not that I’m complaining!” she added hastily. “It’s just a bit… time consuming.”

“Seeing how long some of Mettaton’s repairs take,” Grillby murmured. “I’m actually not surprised.” 

“W-well, if he’s doing all the repairs himself, that makes sense… it shouldn’t be too difficult otherwise, unless he gets badly damaged…”

“Thankfully, there were instructions,” Muffet murmured. “And Felix has some...what’s the term...technical know-how?”

“O-oh? I didn’t realize he had an assistant.” Alphys’s voice conveyed her surprise. “Or um, I’m assuming he’s an assistant? Since you brought it up?”

“Pretty much,” Grillby replied. “When Mettaton realized he’d be taking your place, he asked Felix to come aboard as an assistant so that he could better manage the position.”

“They are quite good at their jobs,” Muffet murmured, her gaze softening. “They’ve been working so hard to fix everything...it’s because of them that I’m no longer part of the fusion.” 

“Oh? R-right, I remember, you were part of Frisk for a while, right? We-well, I guess this… Felix… must be pretty good at his job then!” She gave a nervous laugh.

Grillby nodded. “He’s very diligent in his work,” he said, before motioning with an arm to point out the feline sitting by the bar. “And has been stepping up quite a bit as of late.”

Alphys’s eyes widened seeing the other Monster. “Oh…. him?” She paused. “Well, I… I suppose that makes sense. Guess he ended up staying under Mettaton’s wing on both sides, huh?”

“Apparently,” Grillby mused. “Though, if your Mettaton is anything to go by, it would seem he kept in the entertainment business as well.”

“There’s hope for their dreams yet,” Muffet said as she adjusted her hold on the fussy girl.

“Oh, I’m sure… Mettaton’s…. very popular here,” Alphys told them. “I don’t… really know much about our… Felix? Just that he’s um, out touring somewhere, since Mettaton’s not doing any of that stuff… right now, anyways.”

“I’m sure he’ll be back at it soon enough,” Muffet replied. “Our Mettaton still likes the spotlight afterall.”

Alphys laughed nervously.

“I-I’m sure that’s true, and um, if we end up working together more, then maybe I can help with some of his projects? It sounds like he could use a break, and I’m not really doing anything too important right now…”

“He would certainly appreciate the help,” Grillby replied. 

Muffet nodded. “Grillby, if I were to ask for freedom?” 

“I don’t know, Alexander and Rotisa seem quite content with where they are,” he murmured with a chuckle. 

While they had been talking, Alexander had abandoned his attempts to reason with the empty bottle and had clambered down from the bar to curl up on the table next to Muffet, his eyes drooping half closed and one hand sprawled out away from him, twitching slightly.

“Just letting you know,” Muffet murmured, adjusting her hold on Rotisa before standing. “Come to my rescue if Rotisa starts calling.”

“I shall,” the elemental assured, his flames crackling with amusement as the spider headed off. 

Across the bar, Toriel sat in her chair, her empty plate having since been cleared away. She was tiredly stroking Rias on the top of her head, smiling softly at her daughter, oblivious to the chatter and laughter around her as her world consisted only of herself and her child.

“She’s certainly a little Dearie,” Muffet called softly as she approached, while Rotisa managed to squirm an arm free once again.

Toriel blinked and looked up in surprise, relaxing a little as she saw the spider approaching.

“She certainly is,” The Boss Monster murmured, turning her gaze back to her daughter. “It’s been so long…”

Muffet gave a hum of agreement. “I’m glad to find you well...I was worried over the past few months…” 

Toriel’s ministrations had sent Rias to sleep, and so she looked up again, better able to focus on Muffet.

“It was hard for a while,” she admitted. “But that is all over now.” She smiled. “And it is good to see that it is not just us blessed with new life. You and Grillby must be very proud.”

Muffet smiled at the little flaming child. “She was definitely a little ray of hope for us--and determined to get her hands on everything, but other than that.”

“Well, with those extra hands, I’m not surprised.” Toriel let out a small giggle. “Little ones do tend to be grabby as it is… even with six, you may have your hands full with that one.”

“Grillby and I have back up,” Muffet murmured. “So she only has us _slightly_ outnumbered,” she joked, turning her head so that a flaming hand found her cheek. 

The Boss Monster laughed at that, then removed a hand for a moment, gesturing to one of the chairs across from her.

“Please, take a seat.”

The spider’s grin broadened as she sat down, gently allowing Rotisa to grab onto one of her fingers. Rotisa’s flames danced happily as she let out a coo.

Toriel smiled fondly at Rotisa for a few moments, her eyes soft, before looking up to Muffet.

“And how is motherhood treating you?” she asked, adjusting her hold on her child. “She is your first, yes?”

Muffet nodded. “It’s been well. She’s only about a month old, but, nonetheless...she’s already got her father wrapped around her finger.” 

“I know what you mean… Rias just has to look at Asgore and he might as well be a puddle at her feet.”

Muffet laughed, her fangs showing as she did so. “What _ever_ shall we do with them? Not even a day old, and Rias is already a Daddy’s girl.” 

“You’re right… even the day she was born…” Toriel gave a contented sigh. “I am just glad that everything has calmed down, for both of us.”

“Agreed, it’s been good to have everyone back--on our side as well as this one. Now if it’ll just stay that way for about five minutes…” 

“We can certainly hope, at least. Though Sans and the Canines have been doing everything in their power to make sure it stays that way.”

“I’ve been catching little bits of that. Hopefully, they’re rounding up the last of the Beasts…” A hand started absently stroking Rotisa’s head, her eyes partially closing. 

“That does appear to be the case, there hasn’t been any attacks in months, thanks to their efforts, with Vigil’s help.” Toriel narrowed her eyes in concern. “I’m worried though… There have been some outcries from the Humans over the Beasts, but we haven’t heard anything from Overwatch since before the Rift. I can’t help but worry they’re working up to something…”

Muffet looked up. “I’m afraid I know only a little about this ‘Overwatch’. Though if they’re anything like what we had…” 

“We have not had much experiance with them, other than their kidnapping of Frisk last year,” Toriel replied slowly. “We have allies that generally keep them from causing too much harm. Still…” She blinked and sighed, giving Muffet an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, I do not mean to sully our celebration with such talk. Now is not the time to dwell on such things.”

“I will say we are likely to offer our aid with it though,” the spider stated kindly. “We don’t need people like that running around.”

“I do appreciate that,” Toriel responded. “Thank you.”

Muffet nodded, glancing to her child before back up to Toriel. “Speaking of those groups...how is your Chara? I...I know she had it rough.”

Toriel stilled, looking over to where Chara’s soul floated just behind Kid, who was laughing with her son over something.

“It was not a pleasant ordeal for her,” she whispered. “She is back… and she is still herself but… she’s so _fragile_ now. Alphys thinks that at least some of her symptoms will fade in time, but…”

Muffet nodded slowly, a look of concern coming over her. “I’m...sorry we hadn’t found her sooner, but we had no idea…”

Toriel shook her head slowly. 

“How can I blame you when she would never have been returned to us had it not been for the involvement of your people? It just hurts to see her like this… she’s terrified to be alone, she’s always following somebody around.” her eyes lit up slightly “Fortunately, Napstablook has been kind enough to keep her company while everyone else is asleep.”

Muffet grinned. “I see that our Napstablooks have quite a lot in common,” she replied quietly.

“He is quite the gentle soul,” Toriel agreed. “And I am very grateful for his efforts. He knows better how to care for someone incorporeal than we do. And between her time away and her attempt to fuse with Kid, we need all the help we can get to keep her well.”

“Fusion,” she murmured. “That had to of been quite the shock, but I think she’ll be fine in the end. Seeing how happy Kid is to have her back.” 

“It is good to see him happy again. These last few months have been very hard on the poor boy. Still, I wish Chara hadn’t been so reckless. Her soul is weak enough as it is right now without causing it extra stress. I just hope that doesn’t end up harming her in the long run, I know Kid would blame himself for that.”

“Speaking for our side at least,” Muffet started. “Alma is a generally weak soul, and while they’ve only been in a fusion once, their soul had remained well throughout it--it was only the humans that had caused any issue for the poor Dearie.” 

“Hmmm,” Toriel murmured. “Well, that is hopeful news. We can hope at least, that everything will go well. Still, as long as she is back with us… we will find a way to manage.”

Muffet nodded. “I know that the humans who harmed her will be brought to justice as well, and...if we are to keep the Rift open this time...perhaps we can help one another with the recovery.”

“I would like that.” Toriel leaned back in her chair, unconsciously rocking slightly in it. “I am sorry things ended so abruptly last time, I had hoped to have the opportunity to spend more time with you all.” she laughed quietly. “I suppose we shall have to make up for lost time now, won’t we?”

“We certainly won’t be complaining. Hopefully our Frisk will ease up as well. They were rather insistent originally on staying on our side. It seems someone persuaded them elsewise.” 

“Huh,” Toriel looked back to the spider Monster. “Sans… he was much the same way. There were a few… especially Papyrus… who wanted to come and check on you before now. He was very insistent it was a bad idea, but when your Frisk brought Chara back… He seemed more open to it. Though I cannot say for sure, he had to leave soon afterwards.”

“If we weren’t such a mess, we would have tried coming over, but…” Muffet shook her head. “We hadn’t gone against Frisk at the time, and...Frisk was...nervous about it--but they are the type to put the blame on themself, and...put things out of proportion, so it was likely that again.” 

Toriel nodded slowly, concern growing in her eyes.

“I had not thought that they might blame themself for what happened… perhaps I will have to speak to them about it at some point.”

Muffet dipped her head. “That’s the way they are--but I think some talking will do them some good.” 

“Well then, I will be sure to do that at some point. I wouldn’t want them to suffer needlessly over this…”


	10. Neo

The fusion had strayed for a while, trying to avoid bumping into others while those in their head tried to sort out everything in the chaotic room, and so eventually, they found themselves back near Toriel. There was a pause--but an overwhelming sense of curiosity as Frisk found their gaze being led to the child. 

Rias was still sleeping, safe and secure in her mother’s hold, her floppy ears splayed across Toriel’s arm. One of her hands was twitching slightly as she slept, but otherwise, the little girl was still.

Without really noticing, the fusion crept closer, until they were beside the mother, looking down quietly at her, different emotions stirring within them. Frisk bit their lip with the mixed responses rushing through them. There was love and endearment directed at the child...and yet a sense of longing...sadness...and regret also flooded through them. 

It was then that Rias yawned widely, stretching her arms as she began to wake. She blinked a few times before her gaze fell on the little Frisk, her emerald eyes wide.

The fusion blinked in surprise, jerking back slightly as souls stirred. Wait--did they wake her--!? Frisk put a hand to their head, shutting an eye as the souls grew louder. 

Rias continued staring, her head tilting to the side.. Or perhaps that was just from the shifting as Toriel moved slightly, noticing the little one who had garnered her daughter’s fascination.

“I think she likes you…” Toriel smiled.

Frisk’s gaze softened, and slowly, they lowered their hand, their eyes dimly glowing. “...she’s beautiful,” the fusion murmured softly, with words that weren’t purely their own.

“Yes, she is.” Toriel replied. The Boss Monster hesitated for a moment, then turned slightly, holding out her arms, offering the infant to them.

“Would you like to hold her?” 

Frisk looked up in surprise, and there was a quiet hesitance, the hands rising, freezing, and lowering at the mixed votes. Most were okay, and only two were truly hesitant. “If...if you’re sure?” was the uncertain whisper.

“Of course I am.” Toriel’s eyes grew slightly sad. “But only if you are.”

“...most of us are…” the fusion murmured quietly as they started to play with the knots on the back of their hands.

“I understand… I do not wish to pressure you into anything, but my offer remains, if you want it.”

There was an odd silence, their eyes dimming for several long moments, before they scooted closer, slowly reaching out, as if the child might break if they held her wrong. 

Toriel’s features softened, and she held out the child, gently placing her in Frisk’s hold.

The fusion went completely still, practically turning into a statue as they stared at the life in their hold. However, they slowly relaxed, a soft expression appearing on their face as they watched Rias quietly.

The baby was still in their hold, just gazing up at Frisk with bright green eyes, looking at them as if they were the only person in the world, and demanded all of her attention.

Slowly, Frisk lowered their head closer and shimmering, dual-colored eyes focused on the child, a small sound escaping them as they did so. 

As their head neared the child, Rias began raising an arm, her eyes never leaving Frisk’s own. The motion was slow, and slightly jerky, but after a moment, a snow-white furred hand rested on Frisk’s cheek.

Frisk paused, all their motions ceasing as they stared intently. They lowered their head closer so that the child didn’t have to reach as much, but at this point, they were almost nose to nose. 

The girl went cross eyed, trying to start at Frisk’s nose. Then, she grabbed at it with a barely audible squeak. In the background, they could hear Toriel stifle a giggle.

The fusion jerked slightly, going cross eyed as well, an odd expression of utter bafflement coming upon their face. 

The baby fumbled with Frisk’s nose, trying to keep a hold on it with her little hands, now using both. Once she had it under her grasp, she gave a quiet coo and smiled at the fusion.

Frisk wished they had their extra arms as their ear fins slowly wiggled. 

“Well, I think now I can definitely say that she likes you. Not that that’s a surprise…” Toriel glanced fondly at the two little ones as she spoke, and folded her hands in her lap.

The fusion smiled and lowered their head further, closing their eyes briefly as their forehead gently pressed against Rias’s. Stubborn tears escaped--but for once, crying wasn’t accompanying them. “...she’s wonderful…” the fusion stated simply. 

“She is truly a blessing.” Toriel murmured. Her next words were soft, meant for the version of herself and her husband she knew resided within the child. “I did not realize that I had been waiting for her until she came, but now that she is here… It was worth the wait.”

The right eye glanced to her with a slight bob of their head. The voice softened, as their Toriel spoke. “...and you are truly fortunate…” There was a soft sigh, and a sad smile. “...we are patient...we can wait, but…”

A rumble suddenly entered the words. “It is a long wait all the same--while it’ll be worth it in the end…” There was a content sigh. “It is wonderful to see your little one…” 

Toriel dipped her head slightly. 

“I am glad to hear it. And I believe I speak for us all when I say we are more than willing to help you with your own problems. We would stand by your side… as friends.”

“And the offer is greatly appreciated…”

The rumbling faded, returning to the soft and formal tone of their Toriel. “For now, we just wish to let everything settle back into their places. Both sides have been through a lot.”

“I cannot argue with that,” the Boss Monster said quietly. “We can decide on new things as they come. But opportunities certainly arise from the Rift… though I suspect we shall need to keep Undyne away from the Mettatons…”

The tail twitched. “S--sorry, Mettaton hasn’t been able to l--let loose in ages, and now that he h--has another self to encourage him…n--not that it’s bad, j--just..”

“Oh, I never said it was bad, and our Mettaton is certainly going to enjoy having a counterpart around… but it may be too much for our dear fish-lady.”

“At least she can choose to escape,” the fusion replied as ear fins twitched, but a wide grin appeared. “I’ll just have to tough it out.”

\----

At the bar, Felix looked between the two robots. “There's...two....of....you.......I need a vacation.”

The native Mettaton chuckled. “Oh, come now Darling, we're not that bad. If you really couldn't handle us, you could have left. Even your counterpart stayed with me.”

The feline’s ears drooped in worry. “...Please say I'm not flipping burgers.”

The tidier robot gave a mischievous smile. “Goodness, no, Darling. He's got the _very_ important job of shining my boots before I go to any public occasion. Why, I don't know _what_ I would do without him!” In an instant, a look of utter terror came upon Felix’s face, causing Mettaton to laugh uproariously. 

“Oh, Darling... the look on your face, I can't…” After a few moments, he managed to calm down, wiping tears from his eyes. “Oh... that was too perfect. Don't worry, Darling, you're doing nothing of the sort. Back when I was doing more touring, you played support with Shy. After I got more busy with the shows, the movies, and running the business, you and Shy started your own little... thing.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Felix, though the feline remained confused.

“I've kept an eye out, you've been doing quite well for yourselves, I believe you're touring in Canada right now. A shame really, I'm sure the look on his face finding out about you would be as incredible as the one you just gave me.”

Felix’s Mettaton gave a weary chuckle. “Well, seems there's hope for you yet.”

The cat Monster covered his face. “My counterpart is gonna be so ticked…”

The more energetic Mettaton’s grin turned wicked as he practically purred the next words. “I'm sure he'll get over it, Darling. Besides, if he found out, he'd be too busy trying to explain to his daughter why there's two of him to really focus on such things…”

Felix went to protest, but then paused, blinking a few times as it slowly registered. “DAUGHTER!?”

The lively robot laughed. “Not yet~”

The feline covered his face again. “I'm so confused…” 

The upbeat robot patted Felix’s shoulder sympathetically. “There, there, I'll explain. When a mommy Monster and a daddy Monster love each other very much....”

The feline suddenly jerked to his feet, arms up. “THAT'S IT! NOPE! I'M GONE! I CAN ONLY HANDLE THIS FOR SO LONG!” With that, he fled to another part of the bar.

“Oh dear…” the teasing Mettaton chortled. “Do you think I broke him?”

The weary Mettaton laughed. “This one is good at enduring. He'll bounce back soon enough.”

The other chuckled. “Sounds about right. I had forgotten how much fun it is to tease him, though in fairness, I never had bombs of this level to drop on my version.”

The other folded his hands. “So tell me...are he and Shyren an item on your side then? And if you weren't pulling his leg too far, how much longer for that rumored daughter?”

“Well, admittedly, there isn’t a daughter yet, but I wasn’t joking about him and Shy.” 

“That so?”

“Oh yes, Darling. But, before we get into that, there is one other thing we should clear up.”

“And that would be?” the drained robot questioned. 

“Much as I love the idea of having a double, we might want to figure out something to differentiate ourselves namewise. Otherwise, it could lead to some confusion… especially once I’ve gotten you back in working condition.”

“I do see that as an issue,” Mettaton replied. “Thankfully, there is my fall back. Some upgrades my Alphys had made had been dubbed as ‘Neo’.”

His Napstablook perked in surprise, and then smiled widely as they caught on to the conversation. 

“‘Neo’ huh?” the glamourous robot smiled broadly at that. “Well, Darling, if you would be satisfied with that, then I think we may have found the solution to our little problem. You could certainly do worse than Neo.”

“I think Neo is wonderful,” Napstablook cut in as they floated over to the bar.

The tired robot smiled. “Well, I know you’d be happy to have an excuse for that name.”

“Of course I would--oh, no, I’m sorry, I know you only use Mettaton, but…” 

Mettaton looked to his cousin’s counterpart, raising an elegant brow. 

“You have other reasons to call him Neo?” he asked curiously.

The ghost turned, and looked at him in confusion. “You don’t know…?”

“And we find yet another difference,” Neo stated quietly.

“Can I say…?”

“It won’t hurt anyone.”

“Oh...well, I’m sorry, but where we are...Neo was the name he had before he took Mettaton…”

Mettaton blinked in surprise.

“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that! Then again…” he glanced over to where Toriel, Muffet, and the other world’s Frisk were gathered around their table, though his gaze was drawn especially to the spider Monster. “I suppose it’s not the most surprising thing about your world so far.”

“It certainly is interesting to find the not so obvious changes though,” Neo murmured. “It makes it a little difficult at times however…”

“Oh no...that was a little confusing when we’re trying to be on the same page with magic…” Napstablook mumbled.

“Speaking of being on the same page…” Neo started. “I thought you went up with the ghosts?”

“They were getting hungry, so I thought I’d grab them some ghost sandwiches or something...oh no, I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have…” 

“Blooky, Blooky, how many times must I tell you?” The pristine robot murmured distractedly, still watching the group at the other table. “You don’t have to apologize for being yourself. You’re just fine as you are, and no one in their right minds would ever say otherwise.”

“Oh...oh no...um...I’ll just...get those...now…” With that, they vanished all together, causing Neo to choke back a sound of amusement as he watched a plate seemingly float into the air.

“Blooky, darling, what have we said about those disappearing acts?”

“Not to do them,” came the moving voice. 

“And yet?”

“...I’m sorry.”

Neo shook his head in slight exasperation.

His counterpart blinked in confusion, turning back towards the two cousins.

“Oh dear... sorry, I’m not fully used to this whole counterparts thing… I hope I wasn’t out of line…”

“Hardly,” Neo replied. “They’re nearly the same personality wise. Though I think having two of us is a little...much for them.”

“I’m sorry--”

“If I hear one more apology, Blooky, I swear!” the tired robot laughed. 

“Well, I have been told I can be a little much to deal with,” Mettaton chuckled. “Some people even say I’m;” he paused, putting one hand on his chest and the back of his other over his forehead as he looked away dramatically.

“Overdramatic,” he finished, winking at his counterpart. “Honestly, I have _no_ idea _where_ anyone would get such a view of me.”

Neo smiled. “Haven’t the slightest idea, I must say, they have the strangest thoughts.” 

“Some people…” Mettaton shook his head forlornly. “The price we pay for being fabulous I suppose. There are always those who just don’t understand it.”

“Well, there’s always the fans to fall back to,” Neo replied with amusement. “...regardless of the different sizes in said fan bases.” 

“I do have one or two of those, though I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to interact with them recently.”

“Shame,” Neo replied. “Sounds like you could use a double for that.”

“Neo!” Napstablook scolded.

“I was only joking!”

“Oh, I have one of those already.” Mettaton waved a hand dismissively. “Why do you think we haven’t been swarmed yet? I couldn’t exactly have my fans know where I am and take care of Blooky at the same time, now could I?” He chuckled fondly. “That would be a little counter-productive.”

Neo raised a brow. “You have a double?” he asked as the floating plate vanished through the ceiling. 

“Just an actor we hired to keep the public eye off me,” Mettaton replied, leaning back in his seat and reaching out to grab his glass of wine and sipping at it. “Though now that Chara’s back I may be able to focus more easily on other things. He may not be necessary anymore.” The robot gave a mildly irritated huff.

“Though I suppose I do have a business to run now…”

“You’ll have to enlighten me,” Neo replied. “I haven’t had the chance to do anything with the entertainment for the past few years.”

Mettaton gave a short bark of laughter. “I feel like it’s been the same, it’s been ages since I actually had anything to do with entertainment.” 

He sighed, putting his glass down again.

“It started out as just a way to sell my merchandise, make things a little more profitable. Next thing I know, I own four major film companies, have rights to buy and sell in nearly every country in the world, and I somehow own an entire news network. Still not sure how that one happened, if I’m being perfectly honest.”

Neo folded his hands with a smirk. “The moment I get free time…” he murmured. 

“Speaking of free time.” Mettaton gave an evil smirk. “Don’t think I was kidding about fixing you up darling, the moment you get a chance, you’re getting a complete makeover. I’m going to make sure that beautiful body of yours shines like the day it was built.”

“I don’t hear myself objecting to the idea,” Neo replied tiredly. “You weren’t wrong when you said it didn’t look like I powered down for months. Besides--knowing myself, I’m in no position to argue currently.” 

“Wonderful,” Mettaton smiled. “I won’t interrupt the party, but I’ll be waiting for you in Alphys’s lab at ten in the morning tomorrow. I’ll bring you to my place, I’m not sure Alphys has all the necessary equipment these days.”

“We do tend to run on different definitions when it comes to ‘necessary’...but I’ll certainly be there…” He paused, a dawning realization on him. “We still need to figure out the time difference, actually…” 

“Hmm, good point. I’ll have to speak to Alphys about that before the day ends. But, I believe we got distracted from the really important matters.”

“Lately, we’d have different definitions,” Neo admitted. “Pray tell, which are those important matters?”

“Why, my dear Burgerpants and his wife, of course. Now, Let me tell you…”


	11. Just Because you Can...

Once Rias was done being completely fascinated with the fusion, Frisk trailed away. The others were calm for now, but as they looked around...everyone was occupied, talking to someone. They didn’t want to interrupt, but Frisk could only handle this large of a gathering for long...especially with rowdy souls to make it complicated. But from behind, a familiar voice called.

“Uh, hey yo! Other-Frisk!”

They jumped, the other souls flying to attention as their whirled, and looked up. Their ear fins twitched, and Undyne grinned, though the others managed to hold her back from making a comment...for the moment. “Hey, Kid,” Frisk murmured as they composed themselves.

The reptilian Monster scampered over, grinning broadly at them. For the first time since the fusion had seen him, Chara’s soul was not hovering close by.

“Yo, I was hoping I would get the chance to talk to you.”

“Oh, um...privately or?” They tapped their fingers together sheepishly, their tail flicking as they spoke.

Kid blinked, confusion flitting across his features.

“Uh, I dunno, I just wanted to talk. It’s not like anything’s secret or anything…”

Frisk brought a hand to their head. “The other souls are awake now, so they’ll hear. If that bothers you…”

Kid shrugged.

“Nah, not really. Uh… did _you_ want to talk in private?”

“It’s not a real issue for me...just warning you since you didn’t have to worry about it before…”

Kid shook his head.

“Anyways, we’re off topic now.” his smile returned, wider than it had been before.

“I was kinda preoccupied when you came over the last couple times, so I didn’t get the chance to say it, but… thank you. Thank you so much for bringing Chara back.”

Frisk shook their head. “No need to thank me...you should be thanking our Napstablook and Mettaton--they recognized her soul. I just...” They shrugged, while their eyes dimmed.

“ _They_ didn’t bring her back.” Kid stated firmly. “ _You_ did. You saved her from where she was being-” Kid stopped abruptly, his face twisting briefly in anger and his claws digging into the hardwood floor before he composed himself.

“You brought her home.”

“And they would have done the same had I not been there,” Frisk assured. “...I’m just glad that was something that we could fix.”

“Yo!” Kid stomped his foot on the floor. “Stop saying that other people would have done the same thing! That’s not the point! They didn’t fix it, you did! It doesn’t matter if they _would_ have done it, they didn’t! You’re the one who grabbed her and brought her back as soon as you knew she was there! So stop pretending like it doesn’t matter!”

Frisk ducked their head, but a moment later, their eyes brightened as they looked back up, raising their hands as they spoke in a very laid-back tone. “Easy, Kid. Sorry, our little buddy has a hard time accepting this one due to all the circumstances--but they do appreciate the gesture.”

Kid seemed to calm down a bit, then he ducked his head sheepishly.

“Sorry about that,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to yell.”

“Don’t sweat it, buddy’s stubborn with this to the point you have to force feed them.”

The right eye glowed brighter. “I swear if you make a pun out of this…”

“Sorry, fresh out.”

The eyes dimmed. “Sorry,” the child murmured, the tone back to normal.

“You shouldn’t be the one apologizing.” Kid looked back to Frisk. “Yo, I dunno what… circumstances are going on that makes it hard for you to accept it but... as far as I’m concerned, you saved Chara’s life.” He lowered his eyes to floor, saying the last words in a near-whisper.

“And mine.”

The fusion bit their lip, and shuffled close, before giving him a hug. “...she’s back...take care of her, okay? If she’s like our Chara...they don’t like admitting things.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” Kid promised. “I won’t let anything like this happen ever again. But… listen.” He looked down at the little Frisk, his eyes serious.

“I owe you… kinda everything. So I want you to know, if you ever need my help, or if there’s anything that I can do, just let me know. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

Frisk drew back, looking up at him quietly. “I...understand--but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The ear fins twitched and a wide grin came. “Because someone might get jealous if _you_ come running.”

“Undyne!” Frisk hissed, covering their face. “Hate you right now.”

“For about five minutes.”

“I hope it doesn’t have to happen either,” Kid murmured, ignoring the interchange. “But… I want you to remember that. Just in case.”  
They peeked between their fingers. “Well...actually, there is one thing…”  
“What is it?” Kid asked immediately.

“Rex…” They looked around. “If...you’re okay with hearing that now…” The child fidgeted, grasping at the knots on their scarf. 

“Hearing what?” Kid cocked his head slightly to the side.

Frisk sighed shakily. “Why they’re not here today, I...there’s been...news, and I…” 

Kid frowned in concern and took a step closer.

“Are they… are they okay?”

“They’re fine...so is their sister, but…” Frisk took their gaze to the floor. “A few months ago...a Monster turned in Snowdin. Be...before they could be stopped...Rex’s parents…” The child fell silent. 

Kid stilled completely, stunned as he tried to comprehend what he was being told. 

“They’re… gone?” he managed eventually.

Frisk nodded slowly, swallowing. “We’re sorry,” the child mumbled.

Kid lowered his head. 

“I guess… I shouldn’t be surprised…” he muttered. “But… I would have… liked to see them…” 

Frisk bobbed their head. “Rex and their sister...they’re...doing all right, but I...I think, if I brought Rex here...they might want to talk to you...and...if they do, would…” 

Kid looked up sadly and nodded.

“Yo, I… I know how that feels. I’ll do what… what I can.” He hesitated for a moment. “Yo, do they… do they know that they’re gone?”

Frisk nodded. “They know,” was the whisper. “They don’t talk as if…” The child gave a soft sigh. 

“Okay.” The reptile smiled, though his claws clenched on the floor. “If I can help… I will.”

A sad smile came to the fusion, and they stepped forward, hugging him. “Thank you,” they murmured quietly. 

“Hey, yo… after what you did… it’s the least I can do.”

\---

The fusion sighed. “Need a break…” The bar was too noisy though...they glanced up. If they could just get to the roof...but...they nervously glanced to Papyrus…

The skeleton was leaning against the bar, still holding Canis, who hadn’t allowed him to put her down since she had bounded on him earlier. He was stroking her head absently, but noticed the little Frisk’s attention after a moment and waved cheerfully at them.

There was a pause, before they nervously raised their hand, wiggling their fingers, before striding over. “Um…” they mumbled, their blue eye dimming, while the right sparked with energy. 

“Hello, small Human! How are you enjoying the party?” Papyrus shifted slightly so that he was facing the child more head-on.

They gave a little shrug. “Um...is there a way up to the roof?” they asked quietly. “I...we…” 

“There certainly is! But why would you want to go up to the roof? I thought you were afraid of heights!”

“...I can manage if there’s a sure way down…besides, it’s quieter...” 

“Well, I suppose it is a little noisy in here! Follow me, the Great Papyrus shall lead you to your heart’s desire!”

With that, the energetic skeleton began to stride quickly away, heading away from where most of the people were gathered and into a quieter, more secluded corner.

_‘You really don’t change, Bro…’_

_‘But of course! Why would I be any different, brother? Why, I should feel insulted that you would assume that any Papyrus would be any less Papyrus than I!’_

Frisk rubbed their head quietly, glancing up to the tall skeleton as they caught up.

Papyrus stopped near the wall, and reached up with the arm not supporting Canis to grab at a thin piece of string hanging from the ceiling. He gave it a small tug and a part of the ceiling fell open, revealed to be a trapdoor. From it, a metal ladder slowly slid down, extending itself until it touched the floor.

“There we have it!” Papyrus beamed. “Now, just be careful while you’re up there, alright? And if anything goes wrong, simply call for me, and I will be at your side faster than you can say ‘puzzles!’”

An odd smile came to the fusion, the blue eye brightening, but, the child quickly scrambled up the ladder before their Sans could upset the two tall skeletons in one go. “Thank you!” they called while Canis curled tight in Papyrus’s hold.

“Any time!” Papyrus replied, his hand going back to gently scratch behind Canis’s ears. 

Frisk vanished up the ladder, relieved to escape the loud room, smiling when they saw Chara and Alma with Napstablook, nibbling away at sandwiches while drawing. Chara usually wasn’t the artist, but sometimes, Alma could drag them in on it. Frisk smiled, and sat down away from them, closing their eyes briefly.

\----

Alphys shrugged her lab coat on, doing the buttons up messily and looking around. It had been a few hours since she had gotten here with the others, and things were starting to simmer down, with most of the people just sitting around the tables, talking and laughing with each other. 

She let out a sigh of relief and a small smile. It was _good_ to see everyone together and happy again. And it had been fun to participate, at least for a while. 

But there was only so much of this she could stomach. She was already missing her quiet lab. Well… not really quiet if she was being honest, but certainly less… people. Besides, she needed to get back to work on Chara’s new body. The sooner she had that done, the better.

With that thought, she pushed open the saloon doors, and stepped outside.

Smoke caught her attention, and she spotted the feline leaning against the wall of the bar with a cigarette. His keen ears twitched, and he glanced to her, breathing out slowly. “One too many of Mettaton, or just too many people in general?” he asked, whiskers twitching in amusement. 

“O-oh, no,” Alphys protested. “I just umn, h-had some work that I need to get back too, you guys came through earlier than I thought so I’m a little behind schedule a-and…”

“Mind if I help?” Felix asked. “I’m not much next to you or Mettaton, but I’ve got a little know-how.” 

“Are you s-sure?” the reptile questioned in surprise. “It’s n-not all that interesting, you probably… probably have better things you could be doing.”

“Like listening to the Mettatons gossip about me in this world?” 

Alphys gave a nervous laugh.

“Y-you make a fair point. Well, if you want, feel free to tag along, I guess.”

“Yep, just gimme a minute. Cigarettes and labs don’t go well together, last I heard.” 

“I can’t argue with that…”

\----

It wasn’t long before the two arrived in Alphys’s basement. The reptile immediately set to work, pulling out a set of blueprints from her desk and spreading them across it. Her eyes narrowed and she adjusted her glasses on her snout, making a quiet hum of concentration.

The feline watched her for a moment, and then glanced down at the blueprints, perking at a sense of familiarity that came with the designs. “So...for the Human soul we brought back, right?”

“Elder soul,” Alphys murmured distractedly. “But yes. I’ve already started on the basics, but I want to incorporate a few more upgrades into the design this time, and she made a few requests of her own. They shouldn’t be too difficult, fortunately enough, but it might be a bit time-consuming.”

“How much of Mettaton’s design was used as a base then?” the feline asked curiously. “I can work on those well enough…” 

“It’s the same basic principle as his. It’s a shell, with enough transistors and battery power to keep the form running without her having to resort to magic to power it. A couple extra tidbits where necessary, but I don’t want to do too much that’ll add drain to the battery life. And I need to find some way to increase the power efficiency. I don’t think we could handle a repeat of last time.”

“Mettaton mentioned she had wings…” Felix mumbled, eyes narrowed. “I know we did some changes so that he could handle the power of his canon and wings...but you probably have that covered…”

Alphys looked up.

“Possibly, but the wings were always a big drain on her battery. I had a couple ideas on improving the efficiency, but… what exactly do you guys do? If nothing else, it might give me some more ideas…”

“Well,” Felix murmured, leaving over the blueprints a moment. “Yeah, you see, over here, we had…” 

\----

“W-well,” Alphys managed, wiping sweat from her brow and slowly sitting in a chair behind her. “I have to say, it seems like robots on your side are far different than ours. Heh… I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at the differences anymore…”

Felix rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Our worlds just had to be kooky enough to cause this kind of confusion.” 

“It’s not all bad, there’s at least a few things that I can incorporate into Chara’s design. If we can get her to take proper care of her body this time, we shouldn’t have to worry about her exploding again.”

“I think she would have found some incentive...that, or you and I need to start a committee for bashing stubborn robots over the head. Can you believe our Mettaton hasn’t slept since the last time he was here?” The cat’s hands twitched in irritation. “The Boss can be a pain.”

Alphys stared at the feline.

“Hasn’t slept in… how is that possible? How does he recharge? There’s no way his body can take that!”

“He just...recharges the battery while working,” Felix replied with a shrug. “So long as the battery recharges, the body will continue to function.”

“‘Function’ is the key word there.” Alphys muttered, her eyes narrowing. “There’s a _reason_ I set up Chara and our Mettaton’s bodies so they _have_ to power down to recharge. Just because he _can_ do it while working…”

The yellow lizard tapped her claws on the desk. 

“I’ll speak with our Mettaton tomorrow. He’ll be meeting with yours, maybe I can get him to bring the subject up. He does seem distressed that your… Boss… is in such a condition.”

Felix nodded. “Thankfully, with things calming down, I don’t think he’s going to argue too much about resting.”

“That’s good.” Alphys toyed with her ring nervously for a moment, looking back to the cat.

“Um, I know you two aren’t exactly new to this whole scientist thing but, I’ve been doing it for over fifty years, so, just let me tell you.... Making things more powerful, or more efficient.. It doesn’t necessarily make them better. Boundaries exist for a reason, and it’s important to… work around those barriers instead of just crashing through them. Does um… that make any sense?” 

“I get your main point,” Felix assured. “If it’s any consolation, it’s not like Mettaton wanted to be up for several months straight, it’s just, things come up, and...at least for a little while, we didn’t have the time to work around those barriers. Had we not...well...but I’ll pass word on to Mettaton just so he knows. He has a better grasp on this than I do.” 

“F-fair enough. I certainly know what it’s like to have to work under pressure…”

“Not a picnic,” Felix agreed. “I’m just glad this fiasco is blowing over. So maybe for a few hours, people will be happy, and I can have a day off again.” 

“Y-yeah, I’m told those are kinda important.” Alphys giggled slightly. “F-forcibly. By Undyne usually. Quickly followed by me getting dragged outside by my tail…”

Felix snorted. “Don’t need to ask me twice! ...think I can steal your days off if you’re not going to take them?” he joked.

“That sounds risky,” Alphys smiled. “Undyne might decide to set her sights on you next. Are you sure you want that?”

“I’ll take it over the Mettaton gossip?”

“Fair enough…” 

\----

Canis whined, her tiny claws grasping onto Papyrus’s hand as her mother tried to take her. “No…” she protested. “Mine.” 

Dogaressa chortled. “No, you can’t keep him. Now come, it’s time to go.”

“Mine,” she stated more firmly, clinging tighter to make her point as she attempted to grapple the limb.

“Canis,” Papyrus chided. “I don’t want you to go either, but you do need to listen to your parents! Besides, we’re going to keep the Rift open now, we can visit at any time!”

She looked up quietly. “Promise?” 

“Of course I do!” Papyrus smiled brightly at her. “I missed you very much while the Rift was closed! I have no intention of letting such a terrible event happen again!”

“Hated it,” she stated. “Don’t wanna do it ever again.” 

Dogaressa smiled. “We understand, Dear...can you let go?”

“...one more snuggle?” 

Papyrus rubbed her head with his boney fingers, giving a look to the parents that was both apologetic and slightly pleading.

“Well, it _is_ just one more snuggle…”

Dogamy chuckled. “Well, all right…” 

Dogaressa sighed in amusement, releasing her daughter, who instantly grappled the arm, giving a happy little sound as she did so. 

Papyrus smiled, cuddling Canis into his ribcage one more time.

“She is certainly very cuddly! Her siblings ran off a while ago to play, but she seems happy to just stay here! Though I suppose it is no wonder, the great Papyrus gives the best snuggles!”

Dogamy smiled as his wife went to round up the tired pups in the bar. “I do hope you realize how much of an exception you are with her. She doesn’t tend to warm up with strangers as fast as she had with you...or become clingy. That’s the first time I think we ever had to tell her ‘no’.” 

“Wowie!” Papyrus looked down at the pup in his hold. “I must really have made a good first impression!”

“You’re telling me. She actually _wants_ something for once in her life, instead of...just going with everything. Not that I’m complaining.” 

“Does she usually not want things then?” The skeleton questioned. 

“She just doesn’t actively seek out anything,” Dogamy replied. “We’d give her things, she’d be satisfied...but...not like this.” 

“Well, I’m certainly glad she does! I am more than happy to spend time with my little friend! And you can be sure that I will visit often, now that everything is settled!”

“That I appreciate, the pups were highly displeased when I told them you couldn’t come. And Canis used her deadly--”

“Not deadly,” Dogaressa cut it. “But potent puppy eyes.” In her arms were the other four, through she gave two of them to her husband.

“I can imagine! No one does puppy eyes better than… a puppy.” Papyrus narrowed his sockets. “There’s a pun in there somewhere, I just know it. Sans isn’t even here and I can hear him laughing at me…”

Canis tiredly raised her head, and tilted it in confusion. She gave a grunt, butting her head against him as she tried to somehow squirm closer. 

“Alright, Canis…” Papyrus gave her one final squeeze. “Your family is ready to take you home now.”

She whined softly, reaching up to bump his jaw with her head, giving out the most pitiful look as she let her father take her back. 

“Don’t worry, little one! We will see each other again soon! Papyrus guaranteed!” The skeleton bowed dramatically before the pup to emphasize his point.

Canis stared for a moment, a smile slowly creeping across her face, and to her parents’ surprise...she giggled. 

“Did she just…?” Dogamy questioned.

“She did.” 

“Wowie! You have a nice laugh too!” Papyrus enthused, somehow smiling even more broadly. “You should definitely do that more often too!”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Dogamy replied. 

“I laugh,” she mumbled.

“But I never get to hear it,” her father complained.

“Gotta have Uncles around…or Pappy...”

“Well, in that case, I’m sure you will hear it many more times Dogamy! It is now the great Papyrus’s mission to make Canis laugh as often as possible!”

Dogaressa’s muzzle twitched in amusement. “I think we found a new babysitter to hire,” she chortled as Canis quietly curled up, already closing her eyes.

“You may need to get in line,” Asgore rumbled good naturedly, striding over to the group, away from where his family was helping Toriel out of the bar, packing up everything they had brought. “With all the children running around now, there may be more than a few people interested in his services.”

Canis opened her eyes at that, and looked up at the Boss Monster. “Mine,” she clarified. 

“She’s quite taken with him, isn’t she?” Asgore chuckled, raising a brow at the child’s word. “Not that that’s all that surprising.”

“It certainly surprised us,” Dogaressa murmured. “Though we should take our leave before she tries to find a way to bring him with her.” 

“Probably for the best,” Asgore agreed. “Because somehow, I don’t think Papyrus would be against that idea.”

“Hey!” the skeleton protested. Then he hesitated for a moment. “...That’s true,” he admitted. 

Dogamy snickered. “Not that Canis would complain--but all the more reason to hurry along,” he said as she put in the effort to get on his shoulder so she could wave to Papyrus.

“Well, I have come to say my own farewells.” Asgore smiled as Papyrus waved enthusiastically back to the child. “It was very nice to see you all, and if all goes according to plan, we shall do so again. At the very least, it should be sooner than last time…”

The father nodded. “It was certainly displeasing to have sealed off the Rift, but we didn’t dare trifle with it.”

“I suppose that is fair. But I am glad it is no longer a concern.”

“Hey Dad!” the older Frisk poked his head through the doors. “Everything’s set up, we’re just waiting on you!”

“That would be my cue.” Asgore gave a respectful nod to the canines. “I will see you all again soon, I am sure.”

“We’ll certainly plan on it,” Dogaressa assured. “Until then…” She grabbed her husband. “Time to go before Canis suddenly learns blue magic.”

“Farewell, puppies!” Papyrus exclaimed, waving to the lot of them. “Have a safe trip back! I will see you all soon!”


	12. Put the Shine back in the Star

Little Frisk leaned against the statue in Waterfall as the music played softly...eyes closed, tiara on. They sighed softly in content. After the busy day with so many others...and having the souls active--they were glad to have a little break.

They opened their eyes as they heard footsteps approaching, and sure enough, they saw Rex carrying a basket with their limited magic. The reptile gave a little smile and then set the basket by them. “Yo…”

“You didn’t have to,” Frisk assured as they sat up, opening it to familiar treats.

“Eh...old times, right?”

Frisk gave a soft sound. “That was like...three years ago?”

“Feels like old times…”

“...true…” That was back when Frisk felt as if they could save all that had been lost...now, they would feel lucky if they could even salvage anything out of the mess.

“So...what did you want to talk about?” Rex asked as they began to eat.

“...the Rift has been opened again.”

The reptile’s eyes widened. “Yo--wait--did something bad happen--”

Frisk raised a hand, waiting for them to quiet down. “No...the opposite actually,” they murmured before explaining Chara, and most of what happened.

“You went there without me?” Rex asked, a slightly exasperated hiss in their voice. “Friiiiisk…”

“I just wanted to go in and out…”

“The first time.”

“...the second time...I wanted to talk to...Kid, before I talked to you.”

Rex frowned. “...why?”

The fusion looked to them with their dull dual-colored eyes...not saying a word.

The reptile sighed. “...you didn’t have to.”

“I know,” Frisk murmured. “Now...what I want to ask...do you feel comfortable with going through the Rift?”

Rex nodded. “Yo...that’s fine, I’ll be fine with that...I...I know things are...still shaky, but it’s not like I have to deal with counter…” Rex gave a shaky sigh. “...I guess my parents aren’t allowed a happy ending, huh?”

Frisk shut their eyes for a moment, a pain filled smile coming to them--before they hugged the Monster firmly. “I understand,” they whispered. “I understand how that feels…” _More than you will ever know._

“Rex…”

“Hm?”

“If...you feel like talking to Kid...know the option is there.”

“I know...thank you…”

\---

The next morning, Dogaressa and Dogamy were sound asleep in their home...or, they were, until five squirming balls of fur decided to change that in the early morning. Dogamy grunted as tiny teeth pinched at his ears as Beowulf and Lupus tugged at them, giving squeaky growls and a muffled; “Wake up, Daddy!” 

Dogaressa was having the same issue with Dogtanian and Dogmatix as they tried to rouse her. Though her response was to blindly nudge them away with a paw. She was no morning person.

However, the fifth pup came up to their father, and then bonked him on the muzzle. “Daddy,” Canis stated quietly. “Up-up now.” 

Dogamy groaned softly, tiredly opening his eyes. “...Canis?” he mumbled.

“Uh-huh. Up-up.”

“...what are all of you doing?” 

“Waking--you--up!” Beowulf exclaimed between his teeth.

“Why…? You should all still be in bed.”

“Cause we want to see Papyrus!” four of them exclaimed, jolting both parents out of their slumber.

“Want Pappy,” Canis confirmed.

Dogamy looked at his smallest child in slight surprise. For Canis to willingly get out of bed this early...it was so strange. Dogamy groaned, wiping a hand over his face. “Well...your Uncles and Aunt are exhausted, and your Grandparents are busy…”

Dogaressa smiled. “How about this then? Go back to bed for a little longer, and then after breakfast, we’ll see if we can find him? Papyrus is probably still sleeping, and you don’t want to play with a tired Papyrus, do you?”

The five pups gasped, and then released their captives, all of them darting back to their own beds--except for Canis--who settled on simply curling up by her father. She was going to get what she wanted, so why put the effort into going across the room when she could just sleep here?

Thankfully, her parents were too tired to really care. Dogamy smiled wearily. “Thank you, Dear…”

“Hmm…” was her drowsy response as she went back to sleep. 

\---

“Stay where we can see you!” Dogamy called several hours later as the pups scampered ahead--except for Canis, who had claimed her mother’s arms for the trip. The pups whined slightly, but did as they were told.

However, once they nearly reached the portal, they were surprised to see Neo already there. “Good morning!” Dogamy called.

The weary robot turned, and managed a smile. “Greetings, Darlings! I see you and your pups are up and about.”

Dogamy chuckled. “They wanted to see Papyrus again as soon as possible, so…”

“We figured we could please them,” Dogaressa replied. “What brings you here?” she asked as the robot opened the small building.

“Oh, my counterpart and I arranged a meeting,” Neo replied as he opened the Rift.

The pups squealed, and plowed forward. Dogamy sighed. “Oh dear…”

“Hmm…” the robot hummed. “We should invest in leashes.”

Dogamy whined.

\---

On the other side of the Rift, Mettaton stood in the otherwise-empty basement, one elegant brow raised as he stared at the closed Rift. His arms were crossed and one foot tapped impatiently.

“He had better not be going through my ‘fashionably late’ phase,” the robot grumbled to himself, checking his internal clock for the umpteenth time. 

Suddenly there was a crackling sound, and the Rift opened once more. Mettaton smiled. “Ah, at last. Now _this_ is a show I am eager to get on the road.”

“PAPYRUS!” was the cry as four pups suddenly slid in, crashing into what happened to be nearest as their claws couldn’t find any traction on the lab floor. 

Metaton staggered back from the unexpected force of the furry missiles, laughing at their eagerness.

“My my, it seems that I no longer have the most violently affectionate fans.” He reached down and picked one of them up; bringing the child up to eye level. 

“And just what do you think you’re doing, little darling, hmmm?”

Beowulf flailed his limbs, looking up at the robot with vivid orange eyes. “Finding Papyrus!” he proclaimed, his movement never slowing while the other three started to scout the area.

“Pups!” came a slightly scolding tone as Dogamy and his wife stepped forth, with the father sighing as he looked around at the display. Canis tiredly moved her head, and slowly shook it. 

“Well, you’re not going to find him here, I’m afraid. He’s back at his bar, working hard, no doubt. Though I can tell you,” He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “He’d be delighted to see you all again.”

The pups’ keen ears perked, with Canis abruptly raising her head. Dogamy approached the robot, already reaching out. “Sorry, they’re quite rambunctious today,” he managed while the others darted for the elevator, insisting that their parents were to hurry.

While Dogamy tried to reclaim his son, Neo stepped through.

“Not to worry, I’m used to this kind of behaviour.” Mettaton chuckled, handing the squirming pup back to his father. “Though admittedly, it’s usually aimed towards me.” He looked over to his counterpart, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well darling? Are you prepared to surrender yourself into my care?” 

“As if I had the energy or the want to fight,” Neo assured, while Dogamy held his son carefully, and moved away with his wife. 

“Wonderful!” Mettaton exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight. “Now come, my place is not far from here, and I have everything set up. Your friends will barely be able to recognise you once I am through with you!”

“Why do I suddenly worry?” Dogaressa muttered into Dogamy’s ear.

He just snorted in mild amusement as they reached the elevator, where the other pups were pawing at it insistently. 

Neo smiled tiredly. “I think that’ll be wonderful.”

\---

“And here we are, Darling,” Mettaton told his counterpart as he strode up to a large white house not far from where Neo remembered Napstablook’s place being. “It’s not much, but as I said last time we met, I’ve been trying to keep _something_ of a low profile these days…”

Neo made a mild sound of amusement. “Now you have me curious about the ‘high profile’ homes…” It didn’t stand out horribly, perhaps, but he felt any rabid fans who found out about the double would eventually find this spot. 

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get the chance to see those soon enough, darling,” Mettaton laughed, walking up the steps to the front door. “Now that Chara’s back, I may be able to get back to business.”

“I’d imagine things were a little hectic in those months--they certainly were on my side,” the tired robot replied, ascending after his counterpart.

“You’re not kidding,” Mettaton sighed, opening the door and entering his home, gesturing for Neo to follow him into the pristine entryway. “Humans in a panic over the Beasts, increased animosity towards us Monsters, not to mention both Blooky and Kid being utter wrecks. I had to pull back here to try and take care of them both,” he shrugged. “Not sure how well I did, but I’d like to think I was at least of some use.”

“That kind of thing had always been more of Blooky’s forte,” Neo admitted. The robot looked around, taking in the sight. Well, if this is what he’d get with stardom--he couldn’t wait to fix things. 

The floors of the entryway were polished wood, and the walls were painted a simple white. Even though the room was not very large, there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a small closet not far to the right for coats and shoes, but that was not a concern for either of the robots.

“Ah, you have returned, Sir,” came a voice just beyond the door, and a Human came into sight. He looked to be perhaps in his mid-twenties, and he was well dressed, wearing a black coat and tails, exactly how one might picture a butler. A small black moustache graced his upper lip, and his dark hair was both short and tidy. 

“I told you I wouldn’t be out for very long, Dave.” Mettaton chuckled. “Any calls while I was out?”

“Only twenty-five, Sir.”

“Hmm,” the robot mused. “Must be a slow day.”

“Indeed, Sir.”

Neo raised a brow at all that, but a smile remained on his face. “And what would a busy day entail, Mettaton?” It was a little odd to use that name for someone else, but he was quickly adjusting. 

“Far too much work,” was the reply. “You redirected all the calls, yes?”

“Of course, Sir.”

“Excellent. Neo and I will be in the room I’ve prepared, please don’t let anything disturb us unless it is vital.”

“Very good, Sir.”

“He’s a good man,” Mettaton told his counterpart as he led him down the hallway. “Takes his role very seriously, I’m quite lucky to have him along.”

“Hmm, I need to hope I can find his counterpart,” Neo mused. “When I have time for entertainment that is…”

“Yes, Alphys told me something about that… I didn’t get the chance to ask about it yesterday. You work as the Royal Scientist on your side?”

Neo nodded. “With our Alphys um...unavailable as it were, I took over due to being able to download all the information needed...and I thought it would only be two or three years, but…not the case as one can see.” 

“I suppose not... and it’s obviously not been treating you very well,” The glamourous robot looked his counterpart up and down. “But I won’t have you running into the ground anymore darling. Today is about relaxing, and after that, we can see about lightening your workload a bit, hmm?”

“That would be wonderful--though things have been settling down, so I might be able to manage the last part on my own well enough.” His eyes were dim, and his usual spark had been dulled over the hard months before, but hopefully, he’d return to his usual self after some more well-earned rest. 

“Nonsense.” Mettaton tut-tutted, and opened the door they had come to at the end of the hallway, leading to a large room with a pink chair sitting in the middle of it, surrounded by mirrors, beauty aids, combs and other materials. If there was one word that Neo would use to describe the room however, it would be _pink_.

“You’ve been _managing_ on your own for far too long.” Mettaton led Neo to the chair. “ _Managing_ is not good enough darling, I will not stand for it. There are more than enough people involved now to let you _live_.”

“I’m not sure if I’m talking to my counterpart, or me four years ago,” Neo murmured with mild amusement as he slowly sat down. “Not that I’m complaining about any of this.” 

“Well that’s good, because you are stuck with me, like it or not.” Mettaton stood back, one hand on his hip as he turned his gaze from the other robot to his collection of tools nearby. “Hmm, now where do we begin? Let’s see about buffing out all those scratches and stains you have there… then we’ll see about making you _shine_.”

Mettaton rummaged about in his equipment for a moment, then got to work on his counterpart, using sandpaper and soft cloths to polish him, preparing for the actual buffing process.

“So, darling, I take it that if you had the chance, you’d pursue the same career as me in a heartbeat?” he asked as he worked.

“Absolutely,” Neo replied. “As soon as we get Alphys back, I plan to get back to entertainment. The closest I’ve gotten to a camera lately is when the human press came down on top of us. Though...that can lead to some interesting results.” 

“I’m sure it can!” Mettaton laughed. “I’m sure you can make the press fear you… after all, if it’s your best chance to get on TV, there’s no reason to hold anything back, now is there?”

Neo gave a dark chuckle. “You should have been there when they were trying to frame Grillby for setting a house on fire and I had to point out the flaw in their accusations on their live show.” Neo rubbed his hands together with a smirk, remembering that moment. “For some reason, they went off the air shortly afterwards.” 

“Now _that_ sounds like fun.” Mettaton smiled wickedly, adjusting his positioning to get a slightly better angle. “It’s always entertaining to take smug reporters down a peg or two.” 

“I do try to take every chance I can,” Neo replied. “How Alphys juggled her work and free time, I’ll never know.”

“I’m going to assume that Undyne had something to do with it, even before they got together. That fish-lady certainly made a good impact on her. Still, you may wish to probe her for her secrets… she does have a wealth of knowledge about this kind of thing, you know. You could certainly do worse…”

Neo nodded slightly. “I do speak to her when possible--there’s just the issue of getting our Frisk to be willing to stand through a long talk at times. When I can get her advice, it’s most welcoming, just need to get her back 24/7 and we’ll all be better off.”

“So you do have plans to unfuse your little darling?” Mettaton asked. “I hope you have some notion of what you’re doing, because I wouldn’t have the faintest idea.”

“Our Frisk would certainly appreciate if we could...we managed to unfuse Muffet from that mess, so we know it's possible. We have a starting point with the Amalgamates, but a lot of it has just been testing...and quite a few mishaps. But we have...a general idea of what we’re doing, thankfully.”

“That’s good.” Mettaton grinned as a thought came to him. “Once this frightful business is over, and you become the star you were truly meant to be, perhaps we shall have to go into business together, hmm?”

“...well, now, you’ve given me about five ideas just from that one thought.” The weary robot laughed, a bit of a smirk coming to him. “Gerson is going to be rather cross about this.” 

“He’ll get over himself.” Mettaton waved a hand dismissively before returning to his work. “It’s not like we’d tie him to a chair and force his eyes open to watch our shows, right? He’ll have every opportunity to walk away...”

“Oh, I’ll get some entertainment out of it,” Neo assured. “Though, now that you have me thinking about that…” 

There was a sudden knocking at the door, and Mettaton sighed. 

“What is it, Dave?” he called out in irritation.

“Apologies, Sir,” came the slightly muffled reply. “But Miss Muffet would like to see you.” 

Mettaton brightened slightly at that.

“By all means, send her in!”

“Very good, sir.”

The glamourous robot looked to his seated counterpart. 

“I don’t suppose you know anything about the Muffet from your side planning to drop in?”

“I heard that she and Grillby planned to visit your side at some point today, but they wouldn’t be coming here.”

“Well then,” Mettaton stood, putting down his tools for the moment, then turning to the mirrors and examining himself critically. “I could do better if I had more time…” he muttered.

Just then the door opened behind them and a familiar spider-woman walked in daintily. 

“Mettaton-” she cut herself off as the robot turned to her and she saw him and his counterpart. She huffed, folding her topmost arms in front of her chest and placing the other four on her hips. The ghost of a smile hovered around her lips.

“I knew you were self-centered, but don’t you think this is taking things a little too far?”

Neo chuckled. “I doubt ‘too far’ is a term either of us use.” 

“This is Neo, darling,” Mettaton said quickly, stepping towards the spider-woman. “He’s… not from around here.”

“So you finally got tracked down, hmm?” Muffet shook her head slowly. “You certainly have some strange fans, I’ll give you that much. No wonder you’ve gone into hiding.”

“Well, you could certainly say he’s my biggest fan…” Mettaton chuckled. “But that’s a story for another time, I believe. Tell me, what brings you to my humble abode?”

“My business here has been finished,” the spider slowly lowered her arms. “I thought I’d come to say goodbye before I left.”

“So soon?” Mettaton inquired, a disappointed look crossing his features.

“I still have a business to run, dearie.” Muffet giggled. “I’ve already stayed longer than I anticipated.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Mettaton sighed. Then he threw a mischievous glance the spider’s way. “Well, have you at least considered my offer?”

“Against my better judgement,” was the humorous reply.

“I suppose I cannot fault you that!” Mettaton laughed. “There are some who might say I am a little… over the top.”

“Only some?” the spider teased.

“Ah! You wound me, darling!” Mettaton groaned, clutching at his chest dramatically. “Verily it is true, that beauty doth destroy the beast!”

“Oh, you-” Muffet smacked his shoulder guard, hard enough for a metallic clang to echo throughout the room.

Neo raised a brow at the interaction. This was like watching Grillby and Muffet when they were playfully bickering--wait a minute…

Mettaton stood straight again, and raised a brow at Muffet.

“You still have not answered my question, darling.”

Muffet gave him a coy glance in response. 

“Well, let me put it this way. I’m willing to give something like that a try. I’m a busy woman, but… I suppose I could bear to spend some of my downtime with you.”

“Well then…” Mettaton purred, stepping closer to the spider woman. “I will have to look forward to your next visit, now won’t I?”

He reached out a hand and grasped at Muffet’s top right one, raising it to his lips, then covering it with his other hand while smiling down at her. She shook her head at him, a soft, hissing laugh emanating from her.

“You are so _cheesy_! I don’t know how _anyone_ takes you seriously!”

“I have my ways…”

Muffet huffed in exasperation and drew her hand back. 

“I’m going home now.”

“Don’t I get a kiss goodbye?” Mettaton grinned. Muffet smirked slyly in response.

“Oh no, Mettaton. You’re going to have to _earn_ that right.” She glanced around him and waved a hand at Neo. “Goodbye, Neo.”

With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. Mettaton looked after her for a moment, then turned back to his counterpart.

“Well,” Neo murmured. “Seems she’s going to be teased no matter who she’s with,” 

“I suppose some things must be constants, if not others, hmm?” Mettaton returned to his counterparts side, resuming his work on his metallic form.

“Oh, but now I’m curious,” Neo stated turning his head with a grin. “Question is, am I going to get answers from you?” 

“Ask away, Darling. I can’t exactly keep secrets from myself, now can I?” 

Neo made a sound of amusement. “When did this start?” 

“Not too long ago, actually,” Mettaon replied. “When my business started booming I was... a bit at a loss. It’s not exactly at the forefront of our knowledge, right? And I didn’t want to just… hand all the work over to my subordinates, and have them deal with everything. I have an image to maintain, after all. I couldn’t have them doing whatever they pleased with the company while I remained ignorant in the background.”

“That we can agree upon--though managing that stuff wasn’t exactly the part we wanted. I’m assuming you and Muffet crossed paths?”

“Exactly. She had a much rockier start than I did here on the surface, but the past several months have been very good for her. Her bakeries now span across the entire country, and she’s one of the few other Monsters who holds an important position, even among Humans.

“So, we started meeting more often. Her headquarters are just outside the city, so it’s been easier to do while I’ve been living here. She helped me a lot with figuring out exactly what I was doing,” the robot chuckled fondly. “She certainly has a cool head on her shoulders.”

Neo grinned. “That she does,” he agreed. “Either keeping plans afloat, or keeping groups down to a dull roar, she manages.” 

“Very true. I was very impressed, and grateful for her assistance. She’s certainly a remarkable woman, no doubt.”

The other robot chuckled. “Just good luck with the relationship--it sounds like you’re a little too popular for your own good, Darling.”

“I appreciate the gesture. We’re both busy people but… who knows? Now,” he put away the cloth and sandpaper and pulled out a buffer. “Let’s put the shine back into the star, hmm?”


	13. Pappy, catch me!

The disadvantage to old fashioned saloon doors was that four certain pups could dart right under it without the slightest hindrance to their entrance. “PAPYRUS!” the four cried, their parents following only moments later, with Canis’s head up as she looked about for the tall skeleton. 

The occupants of the pub turned about in confusion, the sound of talking ceasing as they stared at the unexpected interruption. Behind the bar, Papyrus nearly dropped the drink he was handing to larger Human, but managed to catch it just in time.

“Wowie! You came back already?” the tall skeleton exclaimed. “Emerald!” he turned, calling out somewhere to the back. “Could you hold down the bar for a moment? I have special guests!”

“Yes, Mr. Papyrus!” came a slightly muffled voice, and a few moments later, a green flamed elemental came into view., straightening the plain white shirt she wore, and fiddling with the strings of her brown apron.

“Pups, calm down!” Dogamy scolded--though it did little good as the furry missiles ducked under tables and chairs, regardless of occupants as they made a beeline for the skeleton, with Canis whining that Dogaressa move faster as she was the last one now. 

Dogaressa sighed, shaking her head. “Pray they don’t break anything…” 

“Emerald, just Papyrus will do!” The skeleton called. Then, he vaulted over the bar, and crouched low, spreading his arms wide and bracing himself for the white-furred torpedoes homing in on him.

The four lunged at him with happy cries all trying to claim him, while Dogaressa approached with a suddenly fussy Canis, who was whining over the fact that all her other siblings were already with Papyrus. 

Papyrus laughed happily and stood, holding the pups close his as they wiggled about.

“You see?” he said to the parents. “When the great Papyrus is prepared, not even cute puppies can knock him down!”

“I’m glad someone can keep them under control,” Dogamy managed with a bit of a smile, while Canis whined and attempted to reach for Papyrus, leaning out of her mother’s hold. 

“Paaaaapyyyyy,” she called pitifully. 

“It’s alright, Canis, the great Papyrus is here!” The skeleton moved two of the pups up to his shoulders, where his scarf was wrapped around his neck, then reached out with one hand for the struggling pup.

The child reached out, grabbing his hand, before dangling from his arm like a sloth, with Dogaressa still holding her hands beneath the little pup. “Sorry for the storm of fur,” the mother apologized. “They were up at five this morning wanting to come and see you again.” 

“Sounds like you’re getting real popular.... _Pappy_ ,” called a man with a dark brown beard sitting with another Human and a couple of Monsters at a nearby table. A wave of good natured laughter filled the room, while Papyrus attempted to maneuver Canis into safer position.

“Well, we all knew it was only a matter of time,” a small, red bunny-Monster pointed out from from her seat on the table. “Hey, Dogamy, Dogaressa!” she called, diverting her attention to the couple. “You guys are back already? And who are these little guys, are they Doggo’s?”

The two canines perked in surprise, having forgotten that they would run into this issue. “Not quite,” Dogaressa replied, raising her hands. “He’d be begging for mercy if he had to handle that litter all the time.”

“Yeah, and you’d think we’d have heard about it by now.” The first Human addressed the rabbit. “The whole city would know about it if Doggo found a mate.”

“Jeff! That’s mean!” the bunny scolded.

“But not inaccurate.” The man grinned.

“Ah! There we are,” Papyrus spoke up, having finally managed to get the pups all settled comfortably around him, though it did now look like he was wearing a furry shirt. “Another victory for the great Papyrus! Nyeh-heh-heh!”

Canis curled up happily, snuggling into the tall skeleton without another care in the world. Dogaressa glanced to her husband, raising a brow. “What trouble is our brother getting into here?” she mumbled to him.

He shrugged. “I’m more concerned as to what trouble our litter will get themselves into…” 

“They cannot get into trouble!” Papyrus insisted. “Not as long as they are in the presence of the great Papyrus. Though, I will admit I hadn’t been expecting you all to come back so soon! Now that you’re here, what should I do with you?”

“Play!” the other four shouted, while Canis raised her head, looking at him as if the answer was painfully obvious.

“Snuggle,” she stated simply. 

“Hmm,” the skeleton mused, thinking over his options. “Well, you seemed to enjoy the park yesterday… Emerald, would you be alright if I brought these pups out to the park for a while, and brought them back once they’re a little less energetic?” 

“I should be fine, Mr. Papyrus,” the fire elemental replied, dipping her head slightly. Papyrus sighed in response.

“Emerald…”

“Will you be all right with the five of them?” Dogamy asked.

“They shouldn’t be any more troublesome than they were yesterday,” Dogaressa replied. 

“Excellent! Then, if you don’t mind, I will bring these little ones out on an exciting adventure, that will be sure to test the very limits of their endurance! Come, pups! Puzzles, hijinks and lowjinks await!”

The energetic four cheered happily, while Canis yawned, and closed her eyes. 

“You sure he’ll be all right?” Dogamy questioned.

“If he has blue magic, he’ll survive,” Dogaressa murmured to her husband. 

Papyrus was already halfway out of the building, and didn’t hear the parent’s soft-spoken words. Meanwhile, Emerald leaned over the bar, her gaze fixed on the canines. 

“Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked quietly.

“Oh, well…” Dogaressa looked up. “F...Emerald, is it?” That confused her, and she was grateful to have been paying attention to the conversation. She glanced to her husband. “Well?”

“I certainly vote for a day off.”

She snickered and glanced back to the elemental. “Well, if that’s the case…I say…” 

\---

The rambunctious pups cheered as they reached the playground, swiftly clambering up onto it, though once that happened, the four of them split off. Beowulf raced to the top slide, nipping playfully at siblings who tried to follow so that they could go down. He’d nip at paws and nudge them forcefully away, but it was all fun and games, and the other pups were okay with playing along--so long as they eventually got to go down the slide.

Dogtanian however, grew bored with the whole thing, and decided to explore the playset more so than before, going into spots that were not conventionally a part of the playset--such as the top of a crawl through tunnel. Afterall, why go through when you could go over it? 

Dogmatix eventually broke away, distracted by a dragonfly that flew past. He yipped, chasing it about as it darted around the playset. Lupus was the only one who competed with Beowulf, seeming to be the only one genuinely interested in fighting for territory.

And in Papyrus’s hold, was little Canis, who tiredly watched her more active siblings. As always, she was quiet, but, eventually, she glanced quietly up at Papyrus, silently studying him, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. 

The skeleton took a seat on one of the nearby swings, planting his feet firmly on the ground and swaying back and forth slightly while watching the children play. He stroked absently at Canis’s fur with a thumb, smiling at the happy cries from her siblings.

The pup leaned into the hand, a leg twitching as she gave a soft little rumble of content as one paw reached up, trying to lay claim to the scarf. 

Papyrus looked down at the pup. 

“Well, Canis! How are you this fine day? I see you have already claimed my scarf again…”

She gave a satisfied grunt, adjusting her position as she did so. “...good.” 

“I am glad to hear it! Though…” he glanced over to the playground. “Are you sure you don’t want to join your siblings over there? It seems a shame to be sitting down on such a nice day!”

“Too far,” Canis stated. “Comfy here.” 

“Well, you should at least play a little bit! Why don’t I bring you over to the slides? Then you can have fun and sit down at the same time!”

She shrugged, grasping onto the tail of his scarf as she did so. She glanced over to where Beowulf slid down a slide, tumbling off it wildly. However, he got up without an issue, shaking some wood chips off as he did so.

Papyrus stood, and made his way swiftly over to the playground. 

“Well, you can go down a few times… and if you’re not having fun, then we can sit down again! How does that sound?”

“With snuggles?” she asked as the other pups halted their play, yipping excitedly as they saw that Papyrus was coming to join them. 

“But of course!” the skeleton enthused. “Always with snuggles.” He removed a hand and waved at the other pups. “Hello! Are you having fun out here?”

The boys cheered, with Beowulf and Lupus sliding over to an entree point, while Dogmatix was scampering toward them from the opposite side of the playset. Dogtanian...was up on one of the roofs, yipping as she sat there, quite proud of her accomplishment.

“Dogtanian!” Papyrus called. “What are you doing up there?”

“Ploring!” she proclaimed while her siblings looked up at her, trying to figure out how she got up there in the first place. 

“Well, just be careful up there, alright? The great Papyrus does not want you to get hurt!” 

The skeleton’s sneaker-clad feet crunched through the woodchips as he neared the playground. “Now, Canis, which of these slides would you like to go on?”

She looked at them all, studying them carefully. The little pup glared at the straight ones who were directly in the sun’s light, and would be hot to the touch. So, she pointed at the tunnel slide. “That one. Don’t hurt.” 

“Well, good! We don’t want you to get hurt!” Papyrus clambered swiftly onto the playground, pulling himself up the metal bars one-handed until he was at the top of the slide. He set Canis down near the entrance. 

“There you are, little one!”

Canis looked down at it, shifting her position so that she was sitting, and scooted...numerous times, before finally, she descended. She yelped in surprise at the speed, claws instinctively digging into the slide, but they were far too soft to make a difference. 

Knowing that the pup wasn’t the most active, and likely wasn’t used to such things, Papyrus vaulted over the metal bars, and followed Canis down the slide, listening to her progress so he could keep up with her.

“You’re doing great!” he enthused.

The pup wasn’t so bothered once she got used to the speed, but upon seeing the opening, she shut her eyes against the brightness, and due to a lack of breaking her speed, she showed no signs of stopping when she reached the bottom. 

Noting this, Papyrus raced over to the end of the slide, and knelt down in front of it. spreading his arms wide so that he would be able to catch the pup instead of having her fall and hurt herself.

The pup yelped, eyes opening for the brief moment that she was airborne, grunting as she landed in Papyrus’s hold. She squirmed a little, adjusting herself, blinking rapidly, before glancing up, a wide smile slowly creeping across her face as her tail began to wag. 

“Well done!” Papyrus encouraged. “I’m impressed! You made your way down the slide all by yourself! I knew you could do it!”

Canis gave a little yip. “Again!” 

Papyrus paused, then smiled widely.

“Nyeh-heh-heh! Victory once again for the great Papyrus!” Without further ado, he raced back to the top of the slide to start the process all over again.

Of course, from here on out, every time she neared the bottom, she would call out: “Pappy! Catch me!” and every time, Papyrus would be there, arms outstretched, waiting for her.

What caused ears to perk, however, was the eventual laugh that came out of Canis as she landed in his arms again, her tail wagging happily, though this time, she kept her head down, exhausted despite the lack of moving around she herself was doing. 

“Ah-ha!” Papyrus crowed, lifting the pup up and dancing around in victory. “See? I knew I could make you laugh again! The great Papyrus cannot hope to fail!”

Canis looked up, and snuggled against his chest, her laughter fading, but the smile remaining as her brothers poked their heads between the metal bars, and Dogtanian peered down from her perch.

The skeleton settled after a few moments, looking up brightly to the other pups, then back down to Canis.

“You seem a little tired now! Not to worry, I, the great Papyrus, have a plan! I will bring you over to sit in the shade for a while, while I help your family in their games! Then, once you are rested, you can join us!”

Canis stared at him as if he said the most absurd thing. She shook her head, swiftly clinging her small form to a limb. 

Papyrus looked down at her in concern.

“Canis? Are you alright?”

“Staying,” she stated firmly. 

“Wowie! You’re so enraptured by me, that you’d rather stay even when you’re tired? I’m flattered!” The skeleton hummed quietly. “But I cannot play with the others properly and hold you at the same time! This is a puzzle that can only be solved by supreme puzzle master Papyrus!”

The skeleton thought for a moment, before brightening. 

“Aha! I know just what to do! Now Canis, if you would let go of my arm for a moment...”

Canis looked up at him, and then slowly released the limb as she carefully shifted her position in his hold. “Kay…”

The skeleton set the child down for a moment, then adjusted his scarf, untying it from about his neck for a moment. He fiddled with the ends, then set about wrapping it about his shoulders in a way that created a makeshift sling that hung behind his neck., just big enough for the child to fit in. Then, he scooped her up and placed her in it, allowing her to rest on his shoulders while being supported by the sling.

She made herself at home, snuggling into him as she laid her head down, droopy eyed as she yawned. “Papyrus!” the boys called. “Hurry!” they insisted, wiggling impatiently. 

“Coming!” Papyrus called, only pausing for a moment to make sure that Canis was comfortable before running over to the playground and climbing swiftly onto it. 

“Do not worry, the great Papyrus is here! Now, what are we playing?”

“Tag!” the boys exclaimed.

“Waiiiiit!” Dogtanian called. “I need to get down first!”

“Well, that is easily solved!”

Papyrus reached up to where Dogtanian sat and plucked her from her spot, then placed her back down on the playground. “There you are! Just be more careful next time! Only climb up to places that you can get down from! The great Papyrus cannot always be there to rescue you!”

“But if I climb up it, I thought I could climb down it…” Dogtanian replied, drawing circles with a foot. 

The boys didn’t want to wait any longer, and one tapped Papyrus. “You’re it!” Then, the four missiles scattered. 

“Up and down are two very different things!” Papyrus informed the girl. “It is important to remember that down is not always as easy as up! Almost as important as one other thing!”

The girl poked her head up from the other side of the set, the tunnel separating them, her ears twitching to assure she heard, while the boys kept moving. “What?” Dogtanian questioned from what she hoped was a safe distance. 

With surprising speed, Papyrus leapt into the air, a blue aura infusing him, allowing him to float over to where the pup stood.

“You’re it!” he crowed, tapping her on the shoulder, and then undoing his magic, falling down to the ground and running off, though not as fast as he could actually move.

Dogtanian yelped in alarm, staring dumbfounded, while Canis made a sound of surprised delight as she was taken along for the ride. Instantly, the pup was after the nearest target.


	14. Other Pups

The atmosphere in the Great Papyrus was relaxed once more. Emerald was quietly cleaning glasses behind the bar, while the dull murmur of conversation washed over the room as the occupants spoke and bantered with each other in the pristine establishment.

Dogaressa chortled. “Honestly, Dogamy? We’ll have to ask about that.”

“Heaven knows we do need a pup sitter,” he reasoned. “What harm is asking the one that they all like?”

“Well, Canis does like him...we’ll have to bring it up with him at some point…” 

There was a soft squeaking sound from the entrance of the establishment, signalling someone else had come in. Then, there was a series of tiny gasps.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

The two raised their heads out of curiosity--only to do a double take when they found three pups in the entryway.

They only had a moment to see them, before the two white furred ones charged towards them one grasping onto Dogamy’s leg, while the other leapt into the air, barely managing to land in Dogaressa’s lap. The two found themselves immediately bombarded with questions.

“Yay! You’re back already! I thought you were going to be gone foreeevvvveeerrr!”

“Where’s Uncle Papyrus?”

“Did you bring us anyfing?” 

“Why do you smell funny?”

“Did you fight lots ov bad guys?”

While his siblings were pelting the bewildered canines with questions, the last pup, covered in dark grey fur, sat slowly back on his haunches, sniffing the air, narrowing piercing yellow eyes on the two. His ears, small triangles atop his head instead of the long, floppy ears of the other two, twitched for a moment before flattening. He had not moved a step closer since the other two had hurled themselves at the parents.

Dogaressa gasped as she managed to catch the pup that had flung itself at her. “Oh! Careful!” she exclaimed.

“Now, now,” Dogamy managed. “One question at a time?” Though that was said as he gave a glance to his wife, unsure of what they were supposed to say to the pups in a room full of Monsters and Humans who weren’t up to speed on the situation.

The pups quieted a bit, and the one in Dogaressa’s lap squirmed herself into a more comfortable position, then looked up at her with bright blue eyes, cocking her head to the side, as if waiting for answers to all the questions that had been asked. 

The other one was growling and play-biting at Dogamy’s leg, already seeming to have lost interest in the conversation.

Dogaressa looked down at the little girl. “Your Uncle Papyrus took some other pups to the park, but he should turn up eventually,” she assured while Dogamy allowed the second pup to do as they pleased. 

“Other pups?” the two exclaimed in horror, though the boy’s voice was still muffled from his lock on Dogamy’s leg. 

Dogamy chuckled. “Do not fret, I’m sure Uncle Papyrus will spend equal amounts of time with you. He’s not the type to be unfair.”

“Dogamy, Dear,” Dogaressa murmured, flicking her eyes to the third pup. “We may have to…” 

While the little one attached to Dogamy disentangled himself from the older canine, the third pup began approaching warily, stopping just a few feet away and sitting himself down again. His eyes flicked between his elders, his gaze narrowing in concentration.

Dogamy nodded, glancing to the pup. “Yes?” he asked, keeping it neutral, though the older canines were certain he was on to them.

“You smell weird,” the pup informed them. His voice was slightly raspy, and his tone was filled with accusation. He sat back on his haunches. Looking at them again, his gaze demanding an answer.

“They always smell weird after hunt,” the pup in Dogaressa’s lap informed her brother, curling herself up and sighing in content.

“This is different.” The grey-furred one insisted.

“Do you wish to talk about it then?” Dogamy asked. 

“Garav…” the boy attached to Dogamy’s leg untangled himself and ran over to his brother. “You’re bein’ weird again.”

He bopped his brother on the head with a paw, eliciting a startled growl from the grey-furred pup, who immediately leapt upon the white-furred one. Within moments, they were both on the ground wrestling and nipping at each other.

The two adults jerked in surprise, before standing, with Dogaressa putting the girl down in the seat, both preparing to intervene if the boys got carried away, with Dogamy making a concerned sound at their fuss.

One of the other occupants leaned over to watch the two grappling and growling on the ground.

“Trouble never learns, does he?” he chortled, sipping at his drink. “I don’t think he’s ever beaten Garav yet.”

There was yip of protest from Trouble, who immediately sank teeth into Garav’s shoulder. The other child grunted and increased his assault on the other, trying to loosen the hold his brother had on him.

Dogamy blinked, remembering Papyrus talking about them. Trouble...Garav...who was the third…? “Dogaressa, I can handle the boys,” he managed. “Keep an eye on Mischief.” She looked at him a moment, before it clicked and he took a step closer to the tusslers. “Boys,” he warned.

There was no sign either of them had heard him, and a low growl had begun to emanate from them. It was hard to tell which one of them was doing the growling… or perhaps it was both.

Dogamy stepped forth, poised to grab the two. “Both of you,” he called, a stern tone rising. 

The two stopped in their motions, both looking up to Dogamy. Trouble still hadn’t let go of Garav’s shoulder. 

“This isn’t the place to scuffle,” he stated simply. “And I don’t want either of you hurting yourselves right now.” 

“He started it!” both pups protested, though Trouble’s voice was muffled.

“I don’t care who started it, I’ll finish it,” Dogamy warned. “How about you two have a seat, and see if there’s anything you’d like.” 

The was a grumble of protest, but the children disentangled themselves, and Trouble finally let go of his brother’s shoulder, though neither made any move move to go anywhere.

“Stupid boys…” Mischief murmured in a smug tone, content in her seat.

“Be kind to your brothers,” Dogaressa stated firmly. “We’re not here to bicker or fight amongst ourselves,” she said as she moved things on the table to provide better access once the boys made up their minds. 

After a few moments, the boys reluctantly made their ways up to the chairs, clambering up and seating themselves, folding their arms and looking stubbornly away from each other. It seemed that Garav’s suspicions had been quieted for now…

The couple was pleased with that, sighing softly as they grabbed menus. A little coin wouldn’t hurt them so long as they didn’t cause a commotion with someone else’s pups. Dogaressa gave a hum, looking at her phone, frowning at the lack of numbers. “Remind me to ask for his number again, my phone seems to have devoured it.”

Dogamy blinked in confusion, and then realized that she was saying it that way to avoid confusion. “Ah, right. Well, he has to come back some time.”

“You just had to let the battery run out.”

The male grumbled. “Well excuse me, Dear…” he replied as she stifled a laugh. 

“I’m glad you came back already mommy,” Mischief said, settling herself back into Dogaressa’s lap. “You only came back for a little while, and you were gone for so long last time…” she snuggled her head into Dogaressa’s tummy, sighing in content.

“I’m sure we’re sorry about that,” Dogaressa replied. “But I’ve heard that we’re almost done with it, and we’ll probably be able to stay longer soon. You pups just have to be patient a little longer.” 

“Why do we have t’be patient?” Trouble asked. “You’re not leaving again, right?”

At that, Mischief gasped and wrapped her small arms as far as they could go around Dogaressa, burying her face into the older canine’s shirt. Muffled sounds of protest were heard from the girl as she hugged Dogaressa as hard as she could.

Dogaressa slowly placed a hand on the girl’s head. “It should only be a little longer, Pups,” she stated. “As we said, it’s almost done, and then the pack shouldn’t have to stray far.” 

Mischief whimpered her protest, while Trouble pawed at Dogamy’s shirt, whining pitifully. 

“Daddy, take me wif you!” he pleaded. “I don’ wanna stay behind again!”

“It’s too dangerous,” Dogamy stated firmly. “And the three of you are far too young to be getting yourselves into such dangers. When you’re older, and if you have an interest, I’m sure you can learn. But for now, you’re still pups, and you are to stay safe.” 

The pups still whined their protest, while Garav slowly crept his way forward, settling himself down next to Dogamy and resting his head in his elder’s lap.

The doors opened, and the two canines raised their heads, before Dogamy smiled. “Grillby, Muffet, you came?” 

The spider smiled as she strode over, with Grillby carrying their daughter. “That we have…” Muffet replied.

Dogamy glanced around. “The other two?”

Grillby glanced up briefly as Rotisa grabbed at one of his fingers. “They stayed at home with Napstablook. Yesterday was enough adventuring for them…” 

Dogamy chuckled. “Now if only pups would lose their energy in the same manner.”

Muffet giggled. “That’s true…” She paused, and then finally took note of the pups, and then up at the two. Luckily, she pieced things together, though a smirk of amusement showed. “We leave you alone for five minutes,” she teased.

The children looked up at the intrusion for a moment, but quickly returned their attention to their “parents”.

“Stay longer this time?” Mischief asked, staring up at Dogaressa with big puppy eyes. “Pretty please?”

“As much as I’m sure your mother would love to say yes,” Dogamy replied. “I highly doubt it.”

Dogaressa smiled slightly in amusement. “We could just keep repeating it’s almost done until we get it through their floppy ears.”

Grillby chuckled, while Rotisa cooed, turning her head as she tried to see the world around her. 

From behind the bar, there was a quiet gasp as Emerald turned towards the newcomers, seeing Grillby.

“Oh! Hello, Mr. Grillby,” she said. “I… didn’t expect to see you here.”

Grillby turned in confusion, looking to his niece's counterpart, while Muffet’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Grillby?” she questioned--mostly to herself. 

The young woman quickly composed herself, though she looked at Muffet and the baby in confusion for a moment before returning her attention to the other elemental. 

“Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked politely. “I know Papyrus would be delighted to know that the best tavern-keeper in the city had visited his own place…”

Muffet smiled. “Seems you’re quite popular on this side, Sir,” she teased with mirth. 

The elemental glanced over. “Some menus would suffice for now,” he assured the green-elemental. 

“Certainly,” Emerald grabbed a few menus, then walked around the bar to bring them over to Grillby. She glanced curiously at the spider Monster and her baby, but did not say anything.

“If you need anything else, let me know.”

Grillby nodded, with Muffet guiding him to an empty seat, with Rotisa reaching and grabbing at Grillby’s bow tie with insistent chirps. Muffet smirked in amusement. “Rotisa, what do you think you’re doing?”

The little girl turned to her mother’s voice, blinking her three eyes quietly, before returning to what she was doing. Emerald walked slowly back to the bar, resuming her former position, her gaze flicking to Grillby every so often.

“Seems we should ask Papyrus a few questions about your counterpart,” Muffet murmured softly. Grillby nodded, opening the menu, before sparing a hand to get Rotisa’s attention. She blinked, and then laid claim to a digit, cooing happily at her discovery.

They hadn’t had much time to peruse it, before there was the sound of the doors swinging again, and they looked up to see Alphys and Undyne entering the bar. Alphys was carrying Alexander in her arms. 

Or trying to, at least, as the little one was wiggling around in her grasp, obviously wanting to get down and explore. 

“J-just a little farther,” Alphys said, trying to adjust her grip on him. “A-and then you can do whatever you want…”

“Might wanna think about rephrasing that, Alphys,” Undyne chuckled, before looking up and seeing the otherworlders gathered around the table. Her gaze focused on Dogamy and Dogaressa though. She opened her mouth to speak, and hesitated, seeing them surrounded by the pups she recognised.

Rotisa cooed, turning her head to the small commotion, squinting as she tried to make things out. Muffet looked over and giggled, realizing the confusion. “They’re ours,” she called, leaving it vague. 

“Yeah,” Undyne replied slowly, while Alexander finally wiggled out of Alphys’s grasp and dropped to the floor. Not that it seemed to faze the little reptile, and he immediately made a beeline for Muffet.

“I thought so, you guys always have a different feel than us.” the fish-warrior grinned widely. “And now, you got too many pups to handle, huh Dogamy?” 

“One litter at a time, currently,” Dogamy replied. He gave a weary chuckle. “It’s when Papyrus comes back that we should start worrying,” he assured while Muffet turned in her seat as she saw the toddler coming her way. 

“What’s she talking about, daddy?” Mischief asked, raising her head slightly and tilting it in confusion. Even as she spoke, Alexander had reached Muffet’s chair and pulled himself upright on his legs, reaching up for her lap and babbling insistently in baby talk.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with, little one,” Dogamy assured, smirking as Muffet cooed and scooped the little boy up.

“Well hello, little Dearie~ What are you up to?” 

The toddler fumbled in the pocket of the bright blue pants that was all he wore , before proudly pulling out a small, smooth stone with a purple stripe going down the middle of it, which he presented proudly to the spider with enthusiastic gibberish. 

His parents glanced at each other, then broke out in fond laughter at their son’s antics.

Muffet smiled. “Oh, what’s this?” she asked, a spare hand reaching for it as Rotisa turned her head again.

“Probably just one of his little treasures,” Alphys spoke up. “H-he loves to collect things, and sometimes, he’ll give them out.”

“Yeah, last week he decided that I needed a stick that looked like a snake.” Undyne chuckled. “I don't even know where he gets half this stuff.”

The spider giggled, holding it up to get a better look at it--when suddenly Rotisa gave a series of demanding chirps, her grabby hands reaching in her mother’s direction. 

Alexander turned to the baby spider, cocking his head and blinking several times as he watched her. Then he began rummaging in his pockets again, burbling as he did so.

Muffet grinned, adjusting her hold on him. “You’ve got some dragon blood in you?” she joked. “You’re a walking treasure hoard.” 

Grillby chuckled, knowing Alexander likely had no idea what she was talking about. 

Alexander gave a triumphant squeak and pulled another stone from his pockets, this one smaller than the last. It was smooth as well, but this one had flecks of what looked like gold shimmering across it’s surface. The stone itself was red where the gold did not shine, making it seem like fire itself. Especially since the gold shifted as he moved the stone, the light hitting it from different angles. 

It was this one that he proudly presented to Rotisa, clambering closer and placing it in her searching hand.

She cooed, taking it back, looking at it. At first, she tried to put it in her mouth, but Grillby grabbed her fist. “That’s not food, little Lady.” The girl blinked, and then held it up while her father kept a close eye on her. She gave another coo, and then smiled, giggling happily as she held it up above her so that the flames from both elementals reflected off the rock.

Alexander sat back, grinning widely, and looked up at his parents who had come closer in the meantime.

“Pretty fire rock!” he exclaimed happily.

“You little charmer, you…” Undyne grinned and rubbed at the toddler’s crest, earning a happy hum from the reptile as he pressed his head against her hand.

Rotisa gave a series of happy sounds, one hand ending up on her father’s face while she continued to be mesmerized by the stone. 

Muffet grinned. “We’ll need that stick after all,” she stated, instantly getting Dogamy’s and Dogaressa’s attention. 

From beyond the doors came the slightly muffled sound of Papyrus’s energetic voice. 

“Look, pups! We are almost there! It’s a good thing that I, the great Papyrus was the one to come with you! Because my muscles are so powerful, it is a simple task to carry you all this way!”

The canines perked, turning to the door as the tall skeleton entered with all the pups. Canis was sound asleep on his shoulders. Grillby chuckled, holding Rotisa’s wrist as he took his eyes off her briefly. 

As they entered, Trouble and Mischief looked up curiously, both clambering down from their seats to stare at the other pups. Garav remained on his seat, but stood fully, narrowing his eyes at the newcomers and giving a quiet growl. 

Beowulf instantly jerked his head up, orange eyes locking onto the source, while his other siblings simply peeked their eyes open to see what the fuss was--aside from Canis who was dead to the world. 

Mischief turned to look back at Dogaressa in bewilderment, her eyes wide.

“Mommy? Who are they?” 

Meanwhile, both Trouble and Garav were testing the air, watching the other pups intently. Papyrus hesitated, unsure of where the hostile atmosphere was coming from.

“They’re other pups,” Dogaressa replied, while Dogamy watched the situation worriedly. 

Beowulf had perched himself more carefully, making it clear that he was alert, while the other puppies yawned, not seeing an issue with the situation. 

Dogmatix blinked, looking sleepily down at the other pups, tilting his head as he did so, where Dogtanian perked in excitement over the idea of more playmates. 

“They smell weird.” Garav looked between Papyrus and the older canines, his hackles rising. “They smell weird like you!”

Mischief whimpered quietly at her brother’s words, pawing at Dogaressa and snuggling into her side. 

“Well, of course they smell the same-” Papyrus began.

“Papyrus!” Undyne called, getting his attention. She made a violent gesture across her throat… which Papyrus watched with mild confusion.

“Er… Undyne?”

While the skeleton’s attention was diverted, Garav dropped down from the chair and warily approached him. He and Trouble dropped into a crouch, both gazes focusing on Beowulf. Neither made a move to jump, and Trouble briefly glanced to his brother in confusion but he stood by his side regardless.

Dogmatix and Dogtanian looked on in bewilderment, while Lupus’s gaze went from Beowulf to Garav as his brother kept his attention on the pup challenging them. Dogamy stood, analyzing this swiftly. He knew he could get Mischief out of here, and possibly Trouble without issue, but he wasn’t so sure if he could freely negotiate with the gray pup--he was just glad the other litter had his pups’ attention for the moment. 

“Uncle Papyrus,” Garav spoke up, looking up to the tall skeleton and gaining his attention “What’s going on?”

“Why, the great Papyrus is merely returning from playtime at the park!” The skeleton replied, crouching down and unwittingly bringing the pups closer together. Garav and Trouble both stepped back at the closer proximity of the strange children.

“And I have brought new friends for you all! We have Canis, Dogtanian, Dogmatix, Beowulf and Lupus here! They’re very good at playing! They were even able to keep up with the great Papyrus for a while!”

Canis woke from her nap, looking down at the pups in confusion, before letting loose a squeaky yawn, and closing her eyes again, not really caring about the whole mess. 

“Who’re you?” Beowulf asked. 

“Who’re you?” Garav retorted, narrowing yellow eyes at the pup. Papyrus frowned.

“Now, now, there’s no need for that…”

“Papyrus already said our names,” Beowulf replied. “What are yours?”

“Beowulf,” Dogmatix mumbled. “What’re you doing…?”

“Talking.”

“Mommy, make them stop,” Mischief whined, clinging tighter to Dogaressa. “I don’t like it…” 

Dogaressa stood, sheltering the female. “Dogamy,” she murmured in concern.

“I can’t stop a fight that hasn’t started,” he muttered.

“I might step outside with her then…”

“I’m Garav,” the grey-furred pup stated bluntly, ignoring the commotion behind him. He cocked his head slightly, awaiting a response.

“And I’m Trouble!” the other pup barked, not wanting to be left out.

“Beowulf,” the bold boy stated from his perch, before nudging Lupus. 

“What?”

“Name.”

“But Papyrus--” Beowulf nudged him again. “Lupus.”

The other two introduced themselves, before Beowulf glanced briefly over his shoulder at his sister, and then shook his head, bringing his attention back to the two boys.

“You smell funny.” Garav’s tone was full of accusation, as if he had just accused the other pup of murder. 

“So?” Beowulf demanded. 

“You smell funny like _them_ ,” he gestured back to the older canines. “Why?”

Trouble was starting to look a little nervous, and was casting glances over his shoulder at his “parents”.

“Well, of course they do!” Papyrus jumped back in in an attempt to ease the tension. “They’re their pups!”

The three native pups froze at that, and all antagonization was forgotten as they slowly turned to face the older ones, and a pitiful whine escaped from Mischief. 

“W...what?” the little girl managed.

“Oh, no….” Alphys moaned, covering her eyes with both hands.

The two canines covered their faces with a free hand and a long breath of exasperation. Grillby watched warily, uncertain of how this was going to play out. 

“Dogamy?” the female canine murmured as she gently set the girl down on the chair. “What do we do…?”

“I was hoping to not be the one to explain it...” her husband muttered.

“Aw man… I was hoping they were gonna get into a fight first,” Undyne muttered to her wife. “ _That_ I could handle.” 

“What… what’s going on?” Trouble asked nervously, looking between his parents with wide eyes while his sister started crying on her chair, the combination of the information and atmosphere getting to her. Garav on the other hand, just sat there, silently demanding an explanation. 

“Papyrus,” Dogamy called. “Think you can get the lot of the pups outside for this?” He didn’t want to attempt this with a whole crowd listening in, while his own pups were staring in confusion, only having a vague idea of what was going on. 

“Er, right!” Papyrus exclaimed, slightly relieved, as he had been unsure what to do, especially as Mischief had started crying. “Come on, pups, we will come back later, I will show you something else in the meantime!”

As the skeleton left, Undyne walked up to Dogamy and whispered quietly in his ear; 

“There’s a little room behind the bar that Papyrus uses sometimes for people too drunk to make it home safely. Why don’t you two bring the pups there to explain, away from,” her eye flicked to the other occupants of the bar, several of which had been watching the show.

“Prying eyes.”

“Thank you,” the older canine muttered gratefully, before turning to his wife. She seemed to understand, and swiftly scooped the girl up, while he turned to the boys. “Come with me,” he stated firmly. “We’re just going to go somewhere a bit more private. I’ll answer your questions there.”

Garav huffed and hurried after them, with Trouble trailing close behind. Mischief, however, had frozen at Dogaressa’s touch. Though tears still trickled down her white fur, she was completely rigid.

“They’re just going to use the back room, Emerald,” Undyne called to the elemental as the canines approached the bar. The girl nodded, and gestured for the others to follow her, leading them down a short corridor running behind the bar and opening the door at the end of it. 

Once in the room, Dogaressa gently set Mischief on the couch, while she and Dogamy took a seat on the bed across from her, allowing the boys to be with their sister.

Mischief immediately latched onto Trouble, burying her face into his shoulder as she shook. Trouble whined quietly, both in sympathy and exasperation, but slowly drew his arms around his sister. Garav, on the other hand, was sitting straight up, focused on the older canines, his ears perked high.

Dogamy sighed, folding his arms. “No,” he stated simply. “We are not your parents. Explaining why we are not is complicated, but…”

“We were not intentionally trying to deceive you,” Dogaressa stated. “The two of you were just so happy--and we weren’t really in a position to deny in a crowd of people that recognized us as your parents.”

“Though I was about ready to talk to Garav outside. He’s got a sharp nose,” Dogamy admitted. 

“You’re... not?” Trouble questioned, his voice wavering. “But…”

“Your parents are fine, as far as we know,” Dogaressa replied. “They’re still out on their hunt or mission, whichever they’ve been calling it.”

“And we weren’t lying about that they’d be likely to stay longer soon,” Dogamy continued. “We heard that they’ve been wrapping things up.”

“Then… who are you?” Garav asked quietly, inching back and placing a paw on his sister’s shoulder. The girl had quieted some, if only to hear what was going on. The grey-furred pup never took his eyes off the older canines though.

“Do you think they’re old enough to have watched movies with a similar idea?” Dogaressa asked.

Dogamy shrugged. “We’ll just be straight forward.” He looked to the pups. “We’re counterparts--so to speak. We come from a place similar to your own. We share appearance and name with your parents, likely personality if we didn’t raise suspicious sooner. Think…”

“A world similar to yours, but not quite. Where things are similar, but have their differences,” Dogaressa explained. “Like how we are similar to your parents, but our pups are not like you.”

Dogamy nodded. “I could try to draw something to see if I can make more sense, but...this is confusing enough to adults…” 

“So… you’re not Mommy and Daddy?” Mischief whimpered, looking pleadingly up at her parent’s counterparts, her fur wet with tears.

“No,” Dogaressa stated softly. “We’re not your parents. But they should be returning home soon, little ones.” 

Mischief gave a little cry and sprang away, fleeing towards the door, and crawling through a dog-flap installed in the bottom. Trouble barked in surprise at his sister’s sudden departure, staring after her, but not actually following. Even Garav spared a glance back for a moment before returning his attention to the bigger problem.

Dogamy couldn’t help the little whine of concern that escaped him. That might not have been his pup, but as a pack Monster, he couldn’t help already having developed concerns for these pups as well. His wife sympathetically put a paw on his shoulder, assuring him things will be fine as they put their gazes back on the boys.

Trouble looked confused, and was scratching awkwardly behind a floppy ear. Garav, on the other hand, was testing the air again before jumping down from the couch, and trotting over to Dogamy and sitting by his feet, looking up.

“You’re not mean,” he stated, his tone suggesting that was all that still needed to be said on the matter. Then, he hugged Dogamy’s leg for a moment, before backing away and seating himself on the floor again.

Dogaressa made a soft sound, a smile coming to her as her tail wagged, and Dogamy looked a little better for it. “Well I’m glad we could settle this for the most part.” She slipped down onto her knees to be closer to their eye level. “Please let your sister know we didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“Okay,” Garav replied simply. Trouble looked down at his brother, then back to the other canines.

“Might take a while,” he informed them. “Mischief cries a lot.” He snorted. “Such a girl…”

Garav slowly turned, looking up at his brother with a piercing stare and cocking his head to the side slightly. 

“What?” Trouble asked nervously. 

“Yesterday.”

Trouble flinched. 

“Sh-shut up!”

Dogamy smirked, while Dogaressa shook her head. “Be nice to your sister,” Dogaressa chided. “It probably didn’t bode well that she jumped into the lap of a stranger.”

“Besides,” Dogamy chuckled. “Sounds like Garav must have something to hold over your head for it anyways.”

“Garaaav,” Trouble whined, covering his face with his paws. The grey-furred one smirked, then looked back to Dogamy and Dogaressa.

“So, you’re not our parents… you just look like them,” he clarified. “Now what?”

Dogamy shrugged. “We’re just here with our pups. We didn’t even realize we could run into you...what happens I guess is up to you. I’m sure our own pups wouldn’t mind playmates, but if you choose to keep your distance, we won’t fault you for that.”

Dogaressa nodded. “We only visit your area, after all, I’m not really sure how often we’d bump into each other...”

Dogamy snorted. “With the way our litter want to see Papyrus?”

“True…” Then she laughed. “Please don’t fight over him, pups. He won’t like that.” 

“Too late…” Garav said, looking towards the door.

“Too late?” Dogamy asked.

“...has the war already started?” Dogaressa questioned with mostly amusement, but some slight concern.

“Mischief always goes to Uncle Papyrus when she’s sad,” Trouble clarified.

Dogamy gave a hum. “Guess we should find him then and make sure they’re all still in one piece.”

Dogaressa stood. “Unless she challenged Beowulf directly, it should be fine--besides, Papyrus isn’t going to let them fight.”

“Still, that’s six puppies and one skeleton.”

“...we should hurry.”


	15. Only Once

Mischief had run uncaring past the occupants of the bar, ducking under the saloon doors and out into the street. The little girl was still half-blinded by tears, and her thoughts were only on finding her source of comfort, so she didn’t notice when her paws hit asphalt instead of pavement. 

Not until she was standing in the middle of the road, with cars coming towards her from either direction, at least. She froze, eyes wide as she stared at a large truck bearing down towards her. On either side, the drivers were trying to slow down their vehicles, but the pup had appeared too swiftly. Mischief flinched, closing her eyes, and hunkered down with a pitiful whimper.

Then, she felt herself being lifted. She gasped, looking up to see Papyrus above her, his arms wrapped protectively around her. The skeleton had seen her plight, and had put down the pups on him and raced out into traffic with such speed that he was back on the pavement before the cars even had a chance to pass where the pup had been. 

He looked down at Mischief in concern.

“Wowie! That was dangerous! Are you alright?”

The little girl began tearing up, her lower lip trembling before she gave a strangled cry and wrapped her arms as far as they could go around his ribcage, crying loudly while the skeleton stroked her gently.

“There, there,” he soothed. “The great Papyrus is here, everything’s going to be alright.”

“Is she okay?” Dogtanian asked from where she and the others sat, with Canis awake and alert due to the whole fiasco, as she had been put down on the ground, while the boys looked on with concern. Beowulf was growling at the cars. 

“I don’t think she’s hurt… are you?” Mischief shook her head violently, though the sound of her cries did not diminish. “See, she’s alright… she just had a bit of a scare.” 

The skeleton sat himself down on the sidewalk, continuing to soothe the wailing pup.

The rest of the litter approached cautiously, while Canis stayed where she had been put, looking on in confusion, trying to figure out how she felt about all of this. 

“It’s alright now, Mischief,” Papyrus comforted., not paying much attention to the others for the moment. “You’re safe now.”

The white-furred pup shook in his hold, slowly but surely beginning to exhaust herself, until her crying had become whimpering, and she hung limply in the skeleton’s grasp.

The other four pressed close to the skeleton, watching the little girl with drooped ears until Canis slowly stood and shuffled her way over as well. 

“There…” Papyrus petted her head gently. “Are you feeling better now?”

“...No…” came the mumbled reply.

“Well, what is bothering you? Perhaps the great Papyrus can help!”

“I… I want Mommy.” 

“...find her?” Canis questioned simply with a little tilt to her head.

Mischief looked up with a little gasp. She hadn’t even realized that the other world’s pups were clustered about her. She shrank into Papyrus, whimpering fearfully, her eyes wide as she watched the others.

“Mischief?” Papyrus questioned in concern. “What’s the matter?”

“Is she lost?” Dogmatix asked.

“Oh! Can we look around for her Mommy?” Dogtanian suggested, liking the idea of exploring. 

“Her mother left town for a while,” Papyrus explained, trying to coax Mischief out, but only succeeding in making her huddle away further. “Sans told me they might be back in a few days though… Mischief, what’s wrong? There’s nothing to hide from here, I-”

“Liars…” Mischief whined, clinging to him. 

Lupus stuck his tongue out slightly, biting the tip of it as his eyes narrowed in confusion. “Liars?”

“Who?” Beowulf asked, looking around, as if he could spot the answer. 

“Thought it was Mommy…” Mischief trembled. “Looked right, talked right, but…” 

She gave a sudden gasp and let go of Papyrus, clambering out of his hold before he could grab her. She landed awkwardly on the pavement and crawled back, giving a Papyrus a terrified stare.

“Mischief?”

“Y-you… are you…”

Canis looked at her, tilting her head as she studied the frantic pup. Papyrus got his feet under him, frowning in concern. 

“They… looked right,” Mischief crawled back further as she spoke. “Y-you look right, but…a-are you?”

“I’m… not sure what’s going on…” Papyrus muttered. He glanced to the other pups around him. “Do you think you can help me calm her down?”

The pups looked at each other, and then nudged Dogmatix forward. The blue eyed boy blinked in confusion, his black tipped tail low. “Hey...it’s okay. Papyrus got you out of the scary road.”

“Is he Papyrus?” Mischief asked, scooting a little further back, and trying to watch Dogmatix and Papyrus at the same time.

“Of course I am! Who else would I be?” the skeleton exclaimed, inching forwards.

Mischief shook her head.

“Don’t know…”

“He’s Papyrus,” Dogmatix stated. “Only skeleton Monster we know.” 

The girl still seemed hesitant, and each time Papyrus tried to move forward, she crawled back, her eyes still fearful. A hurt expression crossed the skeleton’s face. He wasn’t sure what to do, and he didn’t like the idea that Mischief was scared of him now.

Canis looked between the Monsters, and then took a few steps forward. “You,” she stated to get the other’s attention. Then, she held up the scarf as a reluctant offering. “Pappy’s.” Then she pointed at the skeleton. “That’s Pappy.” 

Slowly, carefully, Mischief reached out and grasped a tail end of the scarf, pressing her nose against it and sniffing. She did this a few times before looking up.

“Uncle Papyrus?”

“Of course, small one,” Papyrus assured as he smiled at her. 

The girl shuffled awkwardly. “Umm.. sorry… I got confused…”

“It’s okay.” Papyrus reached out and drew her close again. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Mischief hummed quietly, then looked over to Canis and Dogmatix.

“Umm… thanks…” she mumbled.

Dogmatix nodded, happily wagging his tail, while Canis tiredly plopped herself back down, yawning again as she rubbed her eyes. 

“Everything okay now?” Dogtanian asked. 

“Still confused…” Mischief murmured. “But you seem… nice.”

“Of course!” Papyrus put in, “They’re all very nice! Now that that’s settled you should play together,” he looked back at the busy road. 

“Inside, I think.”

The pups nodded, tails wagging, while Canis looked up. “Pappy? Carry?” she asked, raising her hands. 

“Certainly!” Papyrus reached out with one hand and lifted up Canis, scarf and all. He still held Mischief in his other arm, and held the two pups close to either side of his chest.

“Good thing I installed saloon doors!” Papyrus chuckled, beginning to walk towards his bar.

Just as he entered, he saw Dogamy and Dogaressa approached the doors. “There they are,” Dogaressa called in relief, while Dogamy’s reaction was more visible as his shoulders slumped.

The other four on the ground yipped happily and clustered around their parents, while Dogaressa looked to the girls in his arms. 

Mischief shrank back slightly and looked away as they approached, but didn’t say anything.

“Ah, there you are! Everything alright in here?” Papyrus asked, smiling broadly.

“We settled things with the boys,” Dogaressa replied. “We were just concerned when Mischief ran off.” 

“Well, there was a problem…” Papyrus glanced down to the pup in question. “But fortunately, the great Papyrus was there to resolve it! I think everything’s going to be just fine now!”

Dogaressa smiled. “You certainly have your way with children, don’t you?” 

Canis blinked. “Uh-huh.” She kept a hold on the scarf. “Pappy’s nice.” 

“Of course! How could it be otherwise?” Papyrus began walking towards the bar, still holding the girls. “Now, it’s been a very exciting day so far! Who wants some juice?”

“Me!” the pups chorused. Even Mischief perked up at the idea, while Canis simply yawned and closed her eyes again. 

“Wonderful!” Papyrus strode over to the bar, nodding at Emerald who looked up from polishing a glass, looking slightly relieved that he was back.

“I have returned, Emerald! Everything went well while I was gone?”

As Papyrus spoke with the green-flamed elemental, Alexander looked up for a brief moment from where he was playing on the table that both his and Rotisa’s parents sat at, before returning his attention to the two small pebbles he was moving around.

“You must really have dug into your rock collection for today, huh?” Undyne laughed. “Guess we’re gonna have to go visit your grandma again soon so you can restock!”

The pups decided to cluster around Grillby and Muffet, with Dogtanian trying to climb up. “Aunt Muffet! Uppy!”

“Where are you trying to go, little Explorer?” she asked as she cradled Rotisa, while Grillby scooped her up, letting her get up on the table--though then the rest of the litter clustered around, wanting to get up there as well. 

Alexander gave a little surprised gasp when he saw the pup, instinctively pulling his pebbles close to him and hunkering down protectively over them.

Dogtanian looked at him and smiled, wagging her tail and approaching, sniffing at his head.

Alxander cocked his head, his pupils dilating for a moment before returning to thick slits. Then, he reached out and batted Dogtanian gently on the nose.

“Hewwo?”

Dogtanian blinked, and went cross-eyed to look down at her muzzle, slowly turning her head, taking a moment to figure out what he said, before her tail wagged faster. “Hi,” was her cheerful reply. 

Alexander hesitated for a moment, then reached out a green-scaled arm and placed his hand on Dogtanian’s face, grabbing slightly at her fur, and inspecting her muzzle with great concentration.

She gave a little grunt, but due to tussling with her brothers, a little fur tugging wasn’t a big deal. 

Muffet glanced down as the boys pawed at her chair, wanting to see the little one in her hold. 

After a short inspection, Alexander’s face lit up, and he pounced on the girl, wrapping his arms around her and smiling broadly.

“Doggy!”

Undyne roared with laughter. She was shaking so hard she was in danger of falling out of the chair. 

“Oh d-dear…” Alphys managed between her own giggles. “I th-thought we managed to… train him out of that…”

The other pups yelped. “She’s getting petted!”

Grillby chuckled, picking some more of the pups. “Just be nice,” he warned as the other pups, minus Canis, found themselves up there with Alexander, all of them nuzzling at his head and sides, trying to get his attention.

Suddenly, Alexander was surrounded by more pups than he had available limbs. That wasn’t about to stop the toddler though. He laughed giddily while trying to drag them all closer together so they could all be snuggled at once. 

“Doggies!” 

The child’s happy cries, along with Undyne’s raucous laughter had gathered the attention of many of the bar’s other patrons, many of whom joined in with the laughter at the sight. 

“Pets! Pets! Pets!” the pups exclaimed.

Dogamy and Dogaressa whined. “I’m feeling jealous,” the father complained.

“They have it so easy,” Dogaressa whimpered.

Canis yawned, looking to the rowdy table, before something caught her attention. “Pappy. Go o’er there,” she insisted, pointing at Muffet. 

“One moment, Canis!” Papyrus filled another glass with apple juice, then reached under the bar to a cooler, returning the jug there. 

“There we go!” he said, standing straight and dusting off his hands. “Now then, what was it you wanted?”

She pointed at Muffet. “Want to see,” she stated simply. “...please?”

“Of course! Just let me bring…” his voice trailed off as he noticed the pile of fur and scales occupying the table. 

“Hmm, maybe I’ll have to bring these somewhere else…” he mused, before brightening. “But that leaves us time to bring you over! The great Papyrus wins again!” 

With that, the tall skeleton brought Canis over to where Muffet sat, and presented her with a flourish.

Muffet perked, blinking at the little girl. “...yes?”

Canis pointed at Rotisa. “Want to see.” 

The spider smiled and looked at her daughter. “Got the spotlight today, don’t you little Dearie?”

“Of course! Little ones always get the spotlight!” Papyrus chuckled. “Why, they’re nearly as cute, lovable and cuddly as the great Papyrus!”

Muffet stood up, holding the child so that the pup could look. The others jerked their heads up and moved as a cluster, wanting to see the little one as well...even if they inadvertently dragged Alexander along, with Grillby swiftly saving cups. 

Alexander squeaked his displeasure, clinging firmly onto Dogtanian as he was pulled across the table, his pebbles long having been forgotten in the commotion.

Thankfully, it was a short walk with the puppies lingering by the edge, while Rotisa looked up in confusion at all the eyes staring down at her. Finally, a little coo escaped the flaming child as she held tight to her pebble.

As the children played, and occasionally snuggled each other; the parents talked, while the native pups watched from the bar. Mischief still ducked out of sight whenever Dogamy or Dogaressa looked their way, but the boys would give small waves in response to the attention. None of them seemed interested in actually joining the activities, however.

At least until Papyrus realized that since his bar didn’t actually serve food, he was going to have hungry guests on his hands. As this was unacceptable, he immediately did what any bartender would do… order enough pizza for the entire bar. 

Apparently, this too was not uncommon at the Great Papyrus, for the food did not take long to arrive, and it was enough for the native pups to slowly make their way towards the activities of the table, lured by the scent of food and rumbling tummies.

And then…

“Prepare to be dazzled, darlings!” 

That was the only warning given before the doors flung open and both Mettaton and Neo stood in the doorway, shining in the sunlight and posing dramatically.

The pups all turned wide-eyed at the new sight, before tilting their heads in bewilderment at the two duplicates. Dogamy chuckled. “Gerson’s going to be cross with you later!” he called.

Neo laughed. “I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do about that.” 

Alphys laughed in delight, clapping her hands together. Undyne’s reaction was… less ecstatic, if the way she was groaning and banging her head against the table was any indication. 

“Papyrus, darling,” Mettaton said, striding confidently up to the bar, blowing a kiss to Undyne as he did so. “Get me some of the good stuff will you? After today, I believe a celebration is in order.”

“Certainly, Mettaton!” Papyrus enthused, racing back behind the bar so fast the onlookers were surprised his feet didn’t catch the wooden floor on fire.

The pups all turned to Undyne, whimpering at her actions, while some crawled closer to see if they could aid in her plight. Canis looked up from where she had claimed a spot on the bar as her napping place, frowning when she saw two robots. “...Uncle?”

Neo reached forward, gently scratching behind her ears. “That’s me, little Darling,” he assured.

“U-undyne…” Alphys chided, settling a hand on her shoulder, while Alexander looked up from his claimed seat in Muffet’s lap, giving a concerned whimper at his mother’s plight. The fish-warrior looked up tiredly.

“Two of them at full drama capacity…” Undyne muttered to herself. “Sans was right, that Rift _is_ dangerous!”

“Love you too, darling,” Mettaton teased, winking broadly at her, before leaning back and pulling a flower from behind his back. He put it between his teeth and reclined against the bar, chuckling when he earned another groan from the chief of police.

“Remind me why I can’t arrest him again?” she murmured to Alphys who shook her head in exasperation.

“Undyne....”

“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Neo replied. “We have our separate things to take care of after all.” 

“It’s not now we’re worried about,” Dogaressa called. “It’s when the two of you both have legitimate free time to work on something together.” 

“What?” Mettaton asked, an innocent expression crossing his face as he took the wine glass that Papyrus had filled for him and sipping from it daintily. “We’re not planning anything…”

“Sure,” Dogamy replied in a sarcastic tone. “And our pups aren’t a handful.”

“They’re not,” Grillby replied. “They’re several.”

Muffet giggled. “Who’s side are you on?”

“...my own.”

Mettaton laughed, then gave a pointed look to his counterpart. 

“And you! You’ve had your body restored, darling, but don’t let that brilliant mind of yours go to waste because you’re overworking yourself. I heard from Alphys what you’ve been up to, darling… I don’t want you working on _anything_ for the next week at least, understood?”

Neo sighed with a smile. “You make it sound like I _want_ to run myself into the ground.”

“You were up for months straight,” Grillby replied.

“I had a cousin to save,” Neo countered. “I had to stay up for as long as it takes.”

“Not quite,” Mettaton replied, raising a finger. “You needed to save him as soon as possible. Those two are not necessarily the same thing.”

Neo shrugged. “Blooky is safe now--I don’t exactly plan to do any more all nighters.” 

“That’s fair, I suppose,” Mettaton relented. “But don’t blame us for keeping an eye on you, I happen to know we tend to be a little… over-the-top. It’s no surprise to me that carried over even in your current work.” The glorious robot pulled a wayward strand of hair back into place. 

“A _little_ over the top?” Undyne snorted. “That’s like like saying I’m a _little_ strong, or Alphys only hates sleep a _little_ bit.”

“I don’t hate sleep!” Alphys protested.

“Then why is it every time I wake up at night, you’re not there, huh?” the fish warrior demanded, narrowing her eye at the reptile, who looked down sheepishly.

“S-sorry…”

“You can’t keep Alphys away from a science project,” Neo replied. “I remember when my own body was being built, she’d just spring up in the middle of an episode, or when she was resting and decide that then, and certainly not the next day, was when she should implement the next idea that came to her.”

“At least it was good practice for Alexander,” Undyne ribbed, a slow smile creeping across her face. “He might be loud in the middle of the night sometimes, but it’s not the same as being woken up by the sound of a chainsaw..”

“That was only the once!” Alphys insisted, hiding her head in her hands in an attempt to conceal the blush spreading across her face. 

Alexander looked up from where he was curled up next to one of the pups for a moment at the sound of his name before yawning and returning to his original position, his hand gently fisting a handful of the canine’s fur.

“A chainsaw, you say?” Neo asked, a playful smile coming to him. “What anime warranted that reaction?” he joked. 

Alphys sank into her chair, now beet red as she mumbled incoherently. The fish-woman laughed at the sight and patted her wife’s back.

“I think we broke her.”

“Well,” Neo started.

“Have some mercy, Sir,” Muffet chided, though she was smiling. 

“When he’s having this much fun?” Grillby asked. “He’s just going to switch targets. In that case…”

“Grillby, if you start, I’ll have to use drastic measures,” the spider warned.

Dogamy snorted in amusement, giving a grunt when his wife nudged him. “What?” he asked.

“Oh you know what…”

Dogamy whined. “Dogaressa…”

She smirked, and hummed happily. “Then behave yourself.”

There was a sudden ringing noise, and Undyne frowned, grabbing at her phone while the sudden sound startled Alexander out of his rest, the reptile sitting up and blinking his eyes tiredly. 

“Yeah, this is Undyne…” the warrior’s frown deepened as she listened to whoever was on the other end for a moment. She stood abruptly, almost knocking over the table.

“Then what are you waiting around for!?” she yelled into the phone. “Get on it, **now**! I’ll be at the station in five minutes, I want all files on this guy ready to go.” She began jogging towards the door, though her speed was increasing as she spoke into the phone.

“This is the biggest lead we’ve had all month! I want…” her voice faded as she slammed through the doors and barreled down the street. 

Dogamy and Dogaressa rose on instinct, listening keenly, trying to sort out what was going on, while Grillby and Muffet turned, a worried expression on their faces as Grillby kept a few pups from falling off the ledge. 

“Well, she certainly seemed in a hurry to leave!” Papyrus mentioned from where he stood behind the bar, leaning on the counter. “I wonder what’s going on?”

“I’m not surprised she left so fast...” Alphys muttered, looking up, her blushing momentarily forgotten. “There’s been a major case she’s been trying to resolve for the past month… she’s been really frustrated that she hasn’t made any headway on it.”

“Sounds like she’s about to,” Dogamy replied.

“I hope so…” Alphys muttered.

Canis looked up at the commotion, and then took the moment to grapple onto Papyrus’s arm.

“Hello, Canis!” Papyrus said, ruffling the pup’s head with a spare hand. “What do you want then, hmm?”

“Snuggles,” was her simple request as she relaxed under his affection.

“Well, she certainly seems easy to please, aren’t you darling?” Mettaton chuckled, draining the last of his drink and setting it on the bar. “Are you trying to steal my number one fan, hmm?”

The little girl raised her head, studying the other robot, before yawning, and holding a little tighter. “Mine,” she assured.

The robot laughed. “You certainly have a way with children, darling.”

“But of course! No one can resist the charm of a smiling skeleton!”

“So it would seem.” Mettaton smiled. “You’re starting to get quite a few fans yourself, should I be worried?”

“Like you have anything to worry about, Mettaton,” Alphys giggled. “Y-you could probably start a revolution to overthrow the government at this point, you’ve got so many fans…”

“Hmmmm…” Mettaton mused, a thoughtful expression coming across his face.

Dogamy raised a brow. “Alphys--what did you just unleash?” 

“At the very least,” Grillby murmured to his wife. “It’s going to become a movie.”

Muffet playfully covered her daughter’s eyes in response. 

\----

The hours went by, and eventually, evening came around. Muffet yawned, and Grillby chuckled. “Sounds like we should be heading home, Dear…”

“Not arguing,” she assured as she stood, only to gasp as Grillby scooped her and their daughter up.

“Grillby,” she mumbled.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“...nevermind…”

Dogamy chuckled. “In that case, the rest of us should be going too. There’s a certain robot in need of a proper recharge, after all.”

Dogaressa smiled, scooping up their tired pups, all except Canis who raised her head from where she was resting in Papyrus’s arms. She stared at them like they sprouted an extra head. “...leave?”


	16. How Can I Refuse?

Alma quietly clung to Grillby, while Muffet hummed her concern. “Are we sure Alma should come along?”

“You let them come the first day.”

“Because Papyrus kept the other customers out…”

“You worry too much,” Grillby stated. “Asgore and Toriel mentioned that Alma and Chara can visit freely. Their humans wouldn’t be able to tell if they were monster or human souls.”

“And,” Napstablook called as they came up. “I’ll keep an eye on them...if that helps…”

“Just stay close,” Muffet replied.

“Will Chara be okay, though?” Frisk asked as they caught up alongside Rex. 

“They’re still tired from everything,” Muffet replied. “So they opted to stay with Cupcake.”

Though to their surprise, when they got to the building with the Rift, they saw William leaning against the doorway, with Michael nearby. “Was wondering who would show up.”

“William?” Grillby questioned. “What’s going on?” he asked as Alma hid themselves out of sight.

“Scientists got upset over this thing being activated again,” William replied, tapping on the metal. “So I came up here to chat.”

The Monsters looked between each other, before Grillby stepped forward. “We...did recently open it again,” he admitted. 

“Why?” the albino asked simply.

“The reason the Rift closed in the first place was because of the death of someone on their side...except…”

Muffet looked up. “She didn’t truly die--her soul fell through to our side, and when we found the last bits of Reaper’s Harvest…”

William quickly picked up where it was going. “They had the soul, I suppose?”

“And we opened the Rift to return it...and, we were invited back.”

“Do you think you’ll be having repeated travels through it?”

“It’ll likely be the case,” the elemental responded. “They had once offered their aid with...our larger issues, and we would appreciate their help. We might be able to put the remaining problems to rest if we had them helping--regardless that we do not mind one another’s company…”

With that, the Monsters explained themselves, and what was going on.

“So basically...this is going to see more activity?”

“So it would appear,” Grillby replied.

“In that case, I think I want a word with people on the other side. I want to make sure we’re on good terms. Last thing I need is a war to worry about.”

Muffet looked up to Grillby. “We could mention this to the others…”

Grillby nodded and looked back to the Human. “We’ll talk to them about it and let you know their answer.”

\----

“Just a moment, please.” Asgore carefully set down the phone, then padded quietly into the living room to see his wife seated on the couch, Chara’s soul hovering nearby.

“Dear…” 

Toriel looked up smiling tiredly. “Yes, Fluffybuns?”

“Alphys just called,” the former king rumbled gently. “Apparently, our friends from the other side are coming to visit again. They have some things they’d like to discuss, apparently…”

Toriel looked down at her casual dress for a moment, her brow knitting in concentration.

“Well, why don’t you invite them here?” she asked, raising her gaze so it met Asgore’s. “We did miss them the last time they came through, but I don’t know if I should leave the house just yet.”

“See?” Asgore chuckled pulling his head away. “Not too hard to look after yourself and get what you want at the same time, now is it?”

He smiled at the sound of Toriel’s laughter, then returned to the phone. 

“Hello? Yes, Alphys, let them know that they’re invited here, Toriel’s been wanting extra company, but she really should be resting. She’s still recovering from everything.”

He listened into the phone for a few moments, before nodding.

“Good. We will look forward to their arrival then. Goodbye.”

He hung up, then returned to the living room and settled himself down on the couch next to his wife who leaned into him.

“Good news, looks like they’ll be coming here after all.”

“That's good to hear,” Toriel murmured. “Though I wish I was a little more presentable…”

Asgore kissed her brow. “You look beautiful,” he said quietly, grinning when his wife gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. 

“Asgore!”

“What?” he asked innocently. “I’m only speaking the truth.”

Toriel shook her head, though she smiled all the same. Then she turned to look at her daughter.

“Chara, do you know where Frisk is?”

“I think he’s in his room still…” the ghostly figure muttered quietly.

Toriel looked back to her husband. 

“We really need to get that boy back into school, he has enough trouble keeping up even without all these interruptions.” 

“Give him some time,” Asgore advised. “Besides, he still needs to deal with Ambassador work for now, he deserves something of a break. He has been working very hard to keep things together.”

“I suppose,” Toriel sighed. “But he’ll need to go back eventually…”

“He will,” the former king assured. “In the meantime, at least he’s figuring out what he wants to do with himself.”

Toriel gave a little frown at that.

“I don’t like the idea of him traveling.” she stated. “Why can’t he pursue something that keeps him closer to home?”

“Well, he’s always been a little adventurous…” Chara spoke up. Asgore laughed at that.

“That’s putting it lightly.”

The Dreemurrs spoke quietly among themselves for a while longer, until there was a knock on the door.

“That would be them,” Asgore rose, walking towards the sound of the disturbance. “I will be back in a moment.” 

Sure enough, when he opened the door, he found their visitors outside.

“Well, howdy!” Asgore grinned widely, stepping aside and gesturing for them to enter. “Come on in!”

“Greetings,” Grillby replied, while Alma poked their head up, quietly wiggling their fingers as Muffet slipped in with little Rotisa, who was currently asleep. 

“Oh...hello,” Napstbalook murmured. “We’re sorry about the intrusion…”

Frisk waved, while Rex looked up. “Yo...Long time no see...” the lizard called quietly due to the slumbering child.

“It’s only an intrusion if you’re unwelcome, Napstablook,” Asgore smiled. “You are most certainly not that.” His gaze fell to Rex as the group passed him.

“It is good to see you again, child,” he said fondly. He gestured in the direction of the living room.

“The others are in there… except Frisk, I believe he is upstairs. Please, make yourselves at home.”

Alma released Grillby as they entered, and instantly floated off, curious of the new place, while the others--for the time being--went into the living room. “Don’t be a bother,” Muffet called quietly after the red ghost.

“Oh...I’ll keep an eye on them,” Napstablook assured before vanishing.

Toriel looked up from the couch and smiled warmly at them as they approached, while Chara quickly reverted to her soul form and hid behind her mother. 

“Chara…” Toriel chided gently, before returning her attention to her guests. “Hello, everyone. It is good to see you all.”

“And it’s good to see you again,” Muffet assured, staying in the entryway, while Frisk and Rex snuggled together into an empty chair. “Is everyone faring well?”

“I believe so, even if this one is still a little shy. Rias is sleeping upstairs…” Toriel frowned in concern. “She’s been sleeping a lot…”

“Are you worrying over there again?” Asgore asked, coming out from the kitchen with a grin. “Both Alphys and Undyne have confirmed that she’s perfectly healthy, just a little quiet. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Muffet smiled. “Sounds like she and Canis would get along.”

“That’s only if Canis can be pried off Papyrus for a few moments,” Grillby replied idly.

The spider giggled. “She certainly took a shine to him.”

“Are you really surprised?” Toriel asked.

“It’s not that we don’t doubt Papyrus’s unique social abilities to befriend just about everyone,” Grillby assured. “It’s Canis that is causing the surprise.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen her move until the other day,” Muffet lightly joked.

“Good to hear he’s being a good influence.” Toriel shifted herself and gestured to the other chairs set about the room as Asgore came to sit next to her. “Please, have a seat. I’ll feel bad if I’m the only one who can’t get up,” she jested.

The younger couple soon found a place to rest, with Muffet shaking her head as she drew the blanket back around Rotisa. “You squirmy little thing,” she mused. “Might need to use some webbing to keep you from slipping your arms out.”

Grillby chuckled. “That’ll work until she starts setting things on fire.”

“That’s why I have you,” Muffet replied with a knowing smirk. 

“...you’re very cruel.”

There was a quiet thumping sound from upstairs, and a moment later, the older Frisk appeared on the steps, carrying a guitar. 

“Hey Mom-” he cut himself off as he saw the guests and waved at them briefly before refocusing on Toriel. “Anyway, do you mind if I go out to the back to practice a bit? I’d do it inside, but… you know. Baby.”

“Of course,” Toriel replied. “Just do not go too far, alright?” 

Frisk threw her a sloppy salute, then darted away to the back door, leaving the house behind.

The younger Frisk watched him go, biting their lip in thought. They wanted to talk to him, but...they were interested in what was about to be said here. Rex leaned forward. “Cool, he has a guitar. Those always look like fun to play.” 

“He’s got a natural talent for music,” Asogre rumbled. “It’s something he started working on before… well, before we met you all.”

“He hasn’t had a chance to really practice in the last few months,” Toriel put in. “I’m glad to see him doing something he enjoys again.”

Rex smiled softly... “Hey,” they started, turning their gaze to the fusion. “You should play along sometime.”

“...I don’t think that counts…”

“You play too?” The voice came from behind Toriel, and Chara floated out, having re-formed herself into an image of her old self. She was still slightly behind Toriel, but now she was actually visible.

The ear fins twitched, and a smile came. “Not exactly,” came a much more confident tone, the voice a little louder. Undyne was in the lead. “Sans and I know some instruments, so we tend to play when given the chance...though I’m sure the Punk has picked up a few things. They’re good with music.”

The blue eye began to glow. “Tend to stick to the piano though. I find playing the trombone rather difficult in this form. It’s one thing to play it as a skeleton…” The right eye flared as Papyrus made his complaints known to his brother. The fusion chuckled. “But they’re a quick learner. If they really wanted to…”

“It must be strange, having access to knowledge and skills that you don’t normally possess,” Asgore said, looking over at the fusion sympathetically.

Frisk shrugged. “We’ve gotten use to it,” came the child’s more soft-spoken tone. 

The tail flicked, and they dipped their head. “B--Besides...it has proven...to b--be an advantage at times…” 

“It must be...” Chara murmured.

“Anyways…” Asgore looked to Grillby, “Alphys mentioned you had something in particular you wished to discuss with us?”

Grillby nodded. “On the way here, the Human Leader intercepted our arrival due to picking up on the Rift being active again.”

“Sir William would like to meet with this side, seeing as we’re keeping the Rift active, to put it simply,” Muffet explained.

“That could be… interesting…” A worried look came to Asgore’s features and he looked down at Toriel who sighed and bopped him gently on the nose.

“Nobody's going to ask you to put the crown on again dear, you can relax.” She looked over at the others. “I’m afraid we’re not in the best shape right now... Sans is still out and I am… not at my best.”

“He is rather reasonable,” Grillby replied. “I think he would be satisfied so long as a meeting can be arranged at some point.” 

“No!” Chara cried, hovering to Toriel’s shoulder and clutching at it. “Don’t trust him! He won’t play fair!”

“Chara?” Toriel gasped in surprise, shifting herself around so she faced the ghost who had started to quiver violently. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

Chara started to break down, crying quietly and shaking her head, as if the very thought of a meeting with William was too much to bear.

Grillby stood abruptly, while Muffet looked ready to rise as well, both responding to the counterpart as they would have with their own Chara while Frisk let out a sound of concern, slipping off the chair.

“Don’t trust him!” the red ghost sobbed. “He’ll try to hurt you!” 

“Chara…” Toriel framed her daughter with her hands, desperately wishing she had a form she could properly hold. “It’s alright, it’s going to be okay…”

“Dearie…” Muffet murmured worriedly, but was left without any options.

While the red ghost continued crying, Toriel looked up at her husband. 

“Asgore…”

“I’ve got this, Tori,” the larger Boss Monster rose, reaching an arm out and placing it around Chara. With just a small release of energy, he was able to pull the crying girl along with him. 

“Let’s bring you upstairs...”

Toriel looked after him in concern as he brought her daughter up the steps. “I’m sorry…” the Boss Monster murmured. “She is still not well… I’m not sure what triggered her there.”

“She’s been through a lot…” the fusion murmured, though it was hard to tell who was actually talking. “Reaper’s Harvest is full of cruel people, and she was trapped there for so long…

“Yes…” Toriel replied, her voice quiet and sad. “I only hope that we can help her feel safe again… fortunately, Kid is more than willing to help.”

Grillby’s light dimmed. “Perhaps we should keep Humans out of conversation while she’s present,” he murmured quietly as he sat back down next to his wife, who was looking to the stairs with concern. 

“That might be for the best,” Toriel agreed, sighing softly. She took a moment to compose herself, then asked; “What is William like? And would he bring others to a meeting?”

“William is a rather easy going and laid back Human,” Grillby replied. “It’s not easy to rile him, and he’s the kind to take things in stride. He’s patient and understanding, and has always been open to finding peace with the Monsters.”

Frisk spoke next. “There’s his bodyguard Michael who hasn’t left his side since the incident, and...if we take them through a shortcut, Jeremiah will probably come as well...though we heard Chara has met the latter two at some point...but we could be mistaken.”

“It seems a bit risky…” Toriel murmured, her eyes narrowing. “I do not like the idea of starting talks with someone when our position isn’t as strong as I’d like. However…” she gave a hum of thought before continuing. “The truth is… our position has been unstable for some time now. Sans has been gone most of the time, Undyne’s been busy keeping the peace and dealing with stray Beasts and rabble-rousers, and I have been… unwell. Frisk and Asgore have had to take up the mantles of diplomat… and the Humans have not been happy about the Beasts.

“If you will vouch for this William… I would be willing to at least speak with him. We could certainly use a Human ally right now.”

The fusion came forth, looking at their fellow Monsters, who all nodded. “Everyone here can vouch for him,” the fusion assured, the voice gentle, but holding authority now. Perhaps their own Toriel was speaking. “This Human is kind, patient, and understanding...and was even wounded greatly when trying to save us.” Though when the fusion stated that, a hand went over their own chest. “He’s not in his strongest position either, and he would want nothing more than to talk--he just wants to know where everything stands with the Rift.”

Toriel seemed slightly taken aback by the praise, and then she smiled. 

“Well, with a recommendation like that, how can I refuse? Tell him that we’d welcome a talk with him sometime tomorrow… I think we can be at least be partially together by then. I will also make sure we contact some of our Human allies… perhaps we can get things together to set up an actual meeting with the Human politicians.”

She frowned in concentration for a moment. “I believe there was supposed to be a meeting soon anyways, perhaps we would be able to bring him in for that…”

The fusion jumped. “Then we’ll inform him as soon as we can!” they softly exclaimed as their right eye brightened. 

“Well good,” Toriel adjusted herself in her seat slightly in an attempt to make herself more comfortable. “I’m very interested in meeting this Human now.”

The fusion settled, and shuffled sheepishly back to their chair. “He’s really good...and Michael and Jeremiah are super nice as well, so...it should go over smoothly,” they said, as their eyes darted toward the entryway as their thoughts started to go elsewhere.

“We could certainly use some more smooth in our dealings with Humans right about now.” Toriel stifled a yawn, covering her mouth as she did, and shaking her head slightly when she was finished. 

“Oh, excuse me.”

Muffet shook her head. “The past several months were hard on you.”

“Besides, we were worse when we visited,” Grillby partially joked. 

“Well, I hope I can avoid falling asleep on you,” Toriel laughed, “I was hoping to be able to sit and speak with you all, not just make a _blanket_ argument…”

Muffet giggled, while Frisk jumped up, the orange eye flaring. “I forgot that she’s in on this too!” Thankfully, Papyrus remembered there were sleeping children.

“Sorry, Papyrus, I suppose you get more than enough of that as it is.” The white-furred Boss Monster was grinning despite herself as she spoke however.

The fusion grabbed Rex. “That’s it, we’re retreating.”

“Yo, wouldn’t it be easier to just put on the--”

“Retreating.” 

“...tiara…”


	17. Everything's Fine

Outside, the brown-eyed Frisk was strumming on his guitar quietly in the garden, surrounded by flowers and resting his back against a small apple tree in bloom. He was smiling, his eyes half lidded as he listened to the soft melody that he played. He was also singing to himself, his words carrying from the soft breeze that playfully tousled his hair..

_“I’ve been waiting for so long time,_  
“To see the light of the golden bright sun  
“I feel no sorrow in the heart of mine  
“For the tears of life are now gone.” 

Frisk and Rex paused as they headed outside, the little Frisk’s keen hearing picking it up. “Hey, Rex,” they murmured. “I want to talk to him alone...will you be okay with that?”

“Mm…” The reptile hesitated, scanning the yard at first, before slowly nodding. “Yo, that’s fine. I’ll go make sure Alma and Blooky aren’t getting themselves into trouble.”

Frisk smiled and then moved around the house, slipping the tiara on as they did so, the other voices becoming silent. 

Their counterpart slowed in his playing, looking down at the guitar and mumbling to himself quietly, though he still plucked at a few strings, as if he was unwilling to stop completely. A few petals from the tree above drifted down, settling in his mess of hair, unbeknownst to him.

“...stringed instruments always did catch my eye…” 

The teen looked up in surprise, halting his playing as he did so. Then he grinned.

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, huh Mini-me?” he joked. “Maybe we should start our own band! Just call it the One-Man Band so everyone gets confused why we have two people.”

The fusion giggled. “Even more confusion if they know about me.”

“Hah! Yeah, I guess technically you count as... what, seven people? Confusions on confusions!” The boy gave a little hum of thought. “Wasn’t there like, a really old philosopher named Confusions? I think I remember learning something about him in school…” 

“Something like that,” Frisk replied vaguely, and then shrugged as they fiddled with the scarf. “I wouldn’t know about him though…though, it’s just me right now,” Frisk assured, tapping their tiara.

“Yeah, sorry… I get distracted sometimes,” Frisk leaned back against the tree with a contented sigh, his hands resting on the guitar’s edge. “So anyways, what brings you out here? Too many people inside again?”

“Your mother made a pun so Papyrus had us escape,” Frisk replied in amusement. “But I would have come out eventually…”

“Did she?” the teen replied in mild surprise. “She must really be feeling better. I can’t remember the last time she cracked one of those…”

Frisk sighed, plopping down in the grass. “...With your sister back...maybe, but…” Their hands shut tightly and Frisk bit their lip. “I wish we had found her sooner.”

“Hey, I’m just happy you found her at all! Don’t beat yourself up about it, alright?” the older counterpart leaned forward. “Anyways, it’s not like anyone blamed you in the first place, right?”

The fusion shrugged, and then looked up. “Has Sans returned yet?” They had been asking over the past few days, because even though Gaster spoke to them about what happened, Frisk wasn’t going to feel confident about it until they spoke with him directly.

“Not yet, I’m afraid,” the boy sighed. “He’s been keeping in contact with us though… hopefully it’ll be done soon and we can put that whole thing behind us.” he sighed, rubbing at his forehead and closing his eyes. 

“Thank god for that. You have no idea how much of a headache those things caused me.”

“Sorry,” the child murmured. “Your Humans are a lot less understanding than our own...we were able to avoid this when Beasts attacked our city…”

“Yeah… apparently _some_ people can’t see the difference between those things and regular Monsters,” the native Frisk grumbled. “And it’s not like I could just say, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it, these guys are from a _different dimension_! They don’t actually have anything to do with us!’”

Frisk tapped their fingers. “That’s still a better story at least…they’d never let it go if you told them the full on truth.”

“If I didn’t get laughed out of the room first.” The boy shook his head and looked up again. “But that’s mostly behind us anyways, right? Sans is mopping up the last of the Beasts, Chara’s back and the Rift is open again. And more importantly, I get school off for a while still!”

The fusion smiled, but it faded, and they fell back, staring at the sky. “...are you okay?”

“Uh, hello? No school! How could I not be okay?”

“That’s...not what I meant.” 

The boy frowned down at the fusion. 

“Well then, what _do_ you mean? There’s no reason for me not to be okay… even without the school thing.”

“I’ve heard things, is all, I’ve...you’ve been through a lot back then. Are you doing better?”

The teen shrugged. 

“Yeah, the last couple months sucked, but I’m fine now. I appreciate the concern though,” He grinned suddenly. “Though does it count when I’m technically you?”

They shrugged. “I’m not stating my concern correctly...need to practice not beating poor bushes to death.” 

“I’m… confused.” The brown-eyed Frisk looked quizzically at his counterpart.

“The Underground, and your time there,” the fusion stated, turning their dual eyed gaze to him. “Are you going to be okay?”

The boy stiffened at the mention of the Underground, but relaxed so quickly it was hard to tell if it hadn’t just been a trick of the eye.

“Of course I am,” he made an idle waving gesture. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because we’re counterparts,” the fusion murmured. “I feel bad about the few I couldn’t save, where I was powerless to use my own ability...I know how I feel. You went through much more that that though. If I had to wonder if I’d be okay...then I have to wonder the same about you. We’re different, yes, but…”

“Mini-me, that stuff happened over four years ago. Sure, parts of it sucked, but hey, I got a sister out of it. Who you brought back.”

“A lot of things happened four years ago,” the little Frisk mumbled. “And even if I fixed things like you did...I didn’t get it as bad...but I still see it.” 

“Besides,” the teen continued as if his counterpart hadn’t spoke. “Adventures can be kinda fun. I’m thinking of heading out after school ends, maybe do some stuff as a travelling musician. See some of the world, find new people…. Maybe new girls…” he grinned, though the fusion caught that his smile was slightly strained. 

“Just wish it wasn’t so hard to lug a piano around… maybe I should get my hands on a keytar. Did you know Undyne refused to help carry my stuff around when I leave?” The boy shook his head. “And after everything I did to save her,” he moaned dramatically. “Some people can be so ungrateful.”

“Just because you’re good at dodging doesn’t mean you can dodge the conversation at hand…”

“Well, it’s a silly conversation.” The older Frisk crossed his arms over his guitar. “I’m fine, my family’s fine, everything is _fine_ , okay? Is that good enough for you?”

“Normally, yes, but…” the fusion gave a grunt as they sat up. “Perhaps we’re the same in this regard. We like hiding it away from everyone...even ourselves in various ways.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the teen snapped, his eyes flashing in anger. “Just drop it, alright?” 

The fusion flinched, eyes dimming. They bit their lip, silent for several long moments. “I know something,” they managed, as if having to force the words out. “I didn’t go through what you did exactly, but I know what it’s like to watch people be hurt because of yourself--mine was from a lack of power--or having my power used against me…regardless, I was unable to help.” 

They stood. “I don’t want to pry it out, but I know you’re never going to tell anyone unless someone does. That’s how I work, and that’s likely what we share. Though everyone would want us to talk it out...and they have a point. But we don’t want to bother anyone--and yet we want to take on all their problems. 

“We’re good at keeping secrets too, I think...or are you that determined to keep them locked up?” Their furred toes dug into the grass, their claws raking at the soft dirt as they lost their momentum, drawing their hood up on their cloak. “But I’m sorry…” they mumbled, trying to say something more. 

The boy opened his mouth to retort, but visibly pulled himself back, clenching his jaw shut and swallowing harshly.

“You’d better go,” he managed through gritted teeth. “Before I say something I’m going to regret.”

The fusion turned away. “...if you ever want to talk, I’ll listen...and if you don’t want to ever talk about it to me...I know someone who would understand and not tell…” Without stating anything further, they swiftly retreated. 

Frisk watched his counterpart leave, his fists clenched tight as he tried to rein his anger under control.

“Stupid kid,” he muttered to himself. “Who do they think they are, bringing that up? Don’t they know I’m trying to forget about it?”

He punched the ground beside him, his fist digging into the dirt, though it didn’t really make him feel much better.

“Besides… no one can help me. No one really understands.”

\---

“Ooohhh...Alma!” Napstablook quietly exclaimed as they flew through a wall, and then snagged the red ghost, tumbling through the air into the dining room. “I don’t think you should be phasing through the walls...we might get in trouble.”

Alma looked up at them innocently, and raised up their hands. “Oh, don’t do that,” Napstablook weakly protested. 

There was a sudden sound at the door, as if someone was banging their head harshly against it. 

Alma gave a shrill squeal and suddenly snuggled into the ghost, seeking protection from them as Napstablook turned to the sound, focusing on the door, and recognizing a soul. “Oh, oh no, it’s okay,” they started. “It’s just Kid--there’s no one scary there…” 

“I recognise that knock,” Toriel called from living room, amusement lacing her tone. “Could someone please get the door, before he breaks it down?” 

“Oh...I’ll get it!” Napstablook called back--albeit softly, and then, they flew to the door, opening it as Alma insisted to keep clinging to their form.

As the ghost had predicted, there was Kid, the light of his visor glinting off his scales, his head pulled back in preparation to batter it against the hapless door once again. He stopped when he saw Napstablook, confusion flitting across his face for a moment. 

“Oh, uh… hey,” he said, trying to subtly sidle around the ghost and into the house. “I got Asgore’s message… and I’m here now, so…”

“And we thought she might nee-” came another voice from behind Kid as the native Napstablook floated into view with a straw basket hovering beside him. The ghost stopped when he saw who had answered the door though.

“Oh no…”

The other Napstablook stared. “Oh...oh no, I’m sorry...I think I just made this really awkward. Oh no…” they mumbled as Alma raised their head just slightly to see what was going on.

While the ghosts were staring at each other, Kid managed to squeeze his way into the house and darted in, focused on finding his girlfriend. His father, however, shuffled awkwardly outside the door, unsure of how to proceed. Kid had told him there was another version of himself, but he hadn’t actually expected to _meet_ them.

“Umm…” he mumbled at last. “Is this a good time?”

“Oh...um...yes?” the other replied with uncertainty. “The others are just visiting...Toriel didn’t object to more people…I’m sorry.” The other trailed back with Alma to allow more room in the entry way.

“Oh… okay…” Kid’s father let himself in, slowly and hesitantly, looking around as if this was his first time at the place. “I just came because I thought Chara might need some food,” he explained quietly.

Alma’s current caretaker nodded. “I...last I knew...she was in the living room,” the ghost mumbled. “I’m sorry, I was too busy to notice…”

“Well…” the native ghost hesitated. “Kid’ll bring her over if she needs food… and I probably shouldn’t interrupt them anyways…”

The visiting one bobbed up and down slowly. “They were separated for quite some time...oh...I’m sorry we didn’t find her sooner…” 

“Oh… it’s okay…” the ghost looked after where his son had vanished. “At least you found her, right?”

“That was a wonderful relief,” the other replied as Alma snuggled into their side. “I didn’t even think we would find her there…”

“I’m glad you did…” The native Napstablook replied, looking after where Kid had disappeared to. “Everything's been a lot better since she came back, so… thank you.”

Alma looked up as their own Napstablook faded a little. “Oh...I heard...you...take care of Kid, right? Sorry, I don’t mean to pry…” 

The other ghost slowly bobbed up and down in acknowledgement. 

“Yeah… I heard things are different where you’re from…”

“Mm, I only help watch out for some of the children…” they murmured as Alma insisted on staying glued to their side. 

“Oh… yeah,” Kid’s father looked over to where Alma was attached to his counterpart. “I’m sorry, is that… your version of Chara? I only saw them a little at the party the other day…”

The visiting Napstablook shook their form. “Oh, no...our Chara decided to stay at home. This is Alma...oh no, I’m sorry, they’re a long story…” The little human spirit looked at them both and then waved timidly at the native ghost.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume… I’m still really not sure how all this works… oh no....”

“Oh, no, it’s my fault, I should have introduced them right away, I’m sorry…” 

Alma quietly looked between the two, a smile creeping onto their face before they started silently laughing at the whole thing. This conversation would go nowhere at this rate.

The native ghost rippled his form slightly in embarrassment. 

“No, it’s okay… don’t worry about it…” 

“Oh, um, well--” Napstablook made a surprised sound as Alma pushed them forward, waved, and then vanished through a wall. “Alma--...stay out of trouble, please…” 

“Oh no… are… are they going to be okay on their own? Should we go after them?”

“They...should be fine so long as they don’t leave the property...and, knowing them, they won’t stray far...oh, I just worry they’ll bother someone with their exploring…” 

“Oh… I don’t think you have to worry about that… they seem nice, I don’t think anyone will get bothered by them…”

“That’s good to know...they don’t mean trouble, so...hopefully they’ll stay out of it?”

“Probably… Toriel’s family is really nice… they’d probably have to be trying really hard to cause trouble…”

“Oh...that’s a relief...they should be fine then…” The visiting Napstablook sank slightly in relief.

“Yeah…” The native ghost ruffled his form quietly, unsure of what else he could say to his counterpart… and still feeling a little nervous about the whole situation.

“Sorry,” the other mumbled. “I know this all weird, and awkward and…” They faded again.

“Oh no,” the other rushed to assure. “Don’t feel bad. I’m just not very good at small talk…”

“I guess...that makes two of us...oh--oh no…don’t...don’t let Papyrus know I just said that...” 

A faint smile appeared below the ghost’s eyes. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” he assured. “I don’t see him often anyways… only when he comes and asks about my music…”

Napstablook perked. “Oh...that reminds me...I need to get back into that soon.” The visitor smiled. “Haven’t been able to do it for nearly a year with everything that’s been going on.”

“Oh, really? I’m sorry…”

The ghost shook their form. “It’s okay...things are settling...I’ll get the chance to do it soon…” Their smile broadened. “You know...we’ve lived a little differently...maybe...we have different songs?” 

The native Napstablook blinked. 

“Oh… I didn’t think about that… That would be interesting if we did… oh no, I don’t mean to to be pushy, you probably have better things to do…”

They shook their form again. “Oh no...I just...came to make sure Alma would be okay...and they seem to be doing fine.”

“Oh, well… we could always try and compare songs… if you want…”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” the visitor assured.

“Oh… okay then, well…”


	18. A Kitchen in Need

Alma pressed their form against a window in the back of the house, smiling as they caught sight of the Human Frisk. It had been a few hours since the fusion had vanished along with Rex, something about the reptile showing them a ‘place to play fight’. Alma shrugged, and intensely watched him, a rolled up paper in their hand. 

They could see him still outside, quietly playing his guitar… or at least it could be assumed so, since they couldn’t hear any of the actual sound from inside. The boy's head was bowed, his bangs hiding his eyes and his lips were moving slowly, whether in song, or talking to himself, it was hard to say.

The child grinned, and raised a hand, managing to open the window slightly. They swooped up, carrying the paper through the gap, and then quietly approached, hugging it in front of them. 

The boy didn’t seem to notice Alma’s approach, though his song came to an end and he stilled his guitar, sighing quietly as he did so, and removing a hand to fiddle at the ends of his red scarf. In response, as Alma didn’t like using energy to speak, they allowed the paper they held to rustle.

Frisk looked up at that, blinking in surprise.

“Oh… hey,” he muttered. “Sorry, didn’t see you coming…”

Alma tilted their head and floated closer, offering the paper to him, watching him in anticipation. 

Frisk looked to them in confusion, but took the offered piece of paper, glancing down at it, and frowning in before looking back.

“Did… you draw this?” Alma’s form lit up slightly and they nodded as they watched him excitedly.

Frisk looked back down at the picture and smiled. 

“It’s pretty, you did a good job on it.” He raised an eyebrow, looking back up. “Sorry, but… which one are you? I’m guessing you’re not my sister cause you haven’t called me an idiot yet… and her drawing skills are nowhere near your level, let me tell you.”

The child reached out at first, pointing at something on the paper as their form dimmed, before they brightened a moment later as they realized what he meant. They looked up, focusing a moment. “Alma...our Chara’s brighter.” 

“Ahh… gotcha,” Frisk shrugged. “Sorry… I can’t sense magic or souls or anything, so having three red ghosts floating around is kinda confusing.”

“Dimmer than others, so…” Alma made a gesture. 

“Shiny, someone else. Not shiny, Alma. Got it.” Frisk looked down at the picture in his hands again. “It looks nice though… do you like drawing?”

Alma’s form lit up more and they clapped their hands together, nodding energetically, even spinning around to prove their point. 

“I guess that’s a yes...” Frisk chuckled.

They seemed to laugh as they settled down beside the Human, looking curiously at his instrument.

“Hmm?” Frisk raised his guitar slightly for inspection. “You wanna see this guy here?”

Alma nodded, raising a hand, but became cautious as they looked up at him again.

“Hey, I don’t mind you taking a closer look.” Frisk’s eyes sparkled with mischief for a moment. “It’s not like you can get it scratched, right?”

The ghost shrugged and then hesitantly reached forward, their red energy touching a string, watching it move.

Frisk smiled as the chord hummed, generating a quiet sound. The ghost strummed all the strings, not quite knowing what they were doing.

“Sounds like I might have some competition,” Frisk said after a moment. “If you get some actual learning on this thing, you might start giving me a run for my money!”

Alma shook their whole form the way a shy child might sway from side to side as they dimmed greatly, mimicking Napstablook in that regard. 

“I’m serious,” Frisk assured. “Dunno if it’s interesting, but I can try and show you how if you’d like… though it’s a little different with the whole corporeal thing… still.”

“Uncle Blooky taught me how to hold some stuff…” Alma finally managed. “Though...it might be a little heavy…”

“That’s alright, I can hold it up for you.” Frisk stretched out his legs and arms, giving enough room that the little ghost would fit between them, and adjusting his grip on the guitar so he wasn’t actually holding the strings.

“See?”

Alma slipped into position--though thankfully, space wasn’t to pressing of an issue as they nestled themselves down, looking back to him when they were content with their spot.

“Good, see? Now put one hand here…”

\---

Grillby headed for the kitchen where Asgore had vanished off to in order to make dinner. “Asgore,” the elemental started as he entered. “I wanted to ask you…” As he looked up, his words faded away, and he started to stare a bit blankly. “...about..”

The kitchen was… well, it could be assumed that there was a kitchen in there someplace. There were half full bowls, ladles and mixers strewn about the place. The former king had turned on the ceiling fan and had the window wide open in an attempt to keep the light smoke coming from one of the elements from getting to the living room. 

Asogre had his back to Grillby, reaching to turn off the faucet that had been pouring water into a full bowl for some time now, and trying to crack an egg against another bowl at the same time. He missed, and the egg fell to the counter, rolled off and splattered all over the floor.

The elemental stared at the mess for several more moments. “... ...Sir…” 

Asgore started and turned, staring at Grillby with wide eyes. His fur was spattered with flour, filling and various scorch marks, and he tried in vain to hide the mess behind him.

“Oh! Grillby, I uh… I didn’t hear you come in!”

“...Sir, please step away from the counter…” 

“I uh… this is…” Asgore sighed in defeat and did as Grillby said. “I… may have attempted… too many projects at once.”

“And those projects would be?” the elemental asked as he strode over, avoiding the fallen egg. He turned off the water, and then took his attention to the stove. His tone seemed neutral, at the very least. 

“Uhm… pie, pasta, fries, chicken, salad…” Asgore rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “This um… isn’t exactly my proudest moment, is it?”

Grillby removed things from the stove to see what could be salvaged and to make sure there was nothing inside that was burning. Fortunately, it seemed the pie had been put in recently, though there was part of a salad in there too for some reason. He glanced over his shoulder. “Well, I’ve seen worse kitchen disasters,” he replied. 

“I’m… sorry to hear that?”

“It isn’t as bad as it looks,” Grillby assured, looking at everything they had as he tidied up, minding the mess on the floor as he did so. “Have you made any of those foods before?” The tone remained the same. There wasn’t any accusations, it just sounded like a simple question. 

“Some of them, yes…” Asgore admitted. “Others… less so.”

“How about I handle the ones you haven’t and we split the workload?” Grillby suggested. “Or, actually, you have been doing a lot for your wife as of late. I could very well handle food preparations.”

“I would… prefer to be helpful if I can… I apologize, things don’t usually get this out of hand.”

“You’ve had a lot going on in the past months,” Grillby replied as he checked the contents of the bowls, organizing them. “And then just in this past week as well.”

“That… is true,” Asgore sighed. “I suppose I have had a lot on my mind and well…” he gestured to the kitchen around them. “I don’t… do so well when I’m unfocused.”

“Now we’re chided when we’re overwhelmed and drained...it goes both ways, I think.” This time some amusement was in his voice. 

“I suppose so…” Asgore managed a weak chuckle. “Is there… how can I help here?”

“Perhaps clean up that egg and tell me what you haven’t cooked before? Then I can work on those while you work on what you’re familiar with.” 

Asgore smiled gratefully and made his way to the sink, wetting a cloth before crouching down to clean up the floor.

“I have some experience with the pie and the salad… the others though, I am less familiar with.”

“I can most definitely handle the fries and the chicken--and I’ve had to learn to accommodate pasta into our lives.” There was a slight laugh on the last part. 

“Well, I suppose anywhere Papyrus is involved.” Asgore chuckled, finishing cleaning up the mess on the floor and knocking the dish cloth into the garbage can a few times before putting it with the other dirty dishes in a small bucket. 

The elemental’s flames crackled as he sorted the bowls so that they each had their respective dishes to handle. “You should see them argue over dinner sometimes.” 

“I can only imagine,” the former king replied. “I remember the fights our Frisk and Chara would get into over chocolate, it must be much worse with so many others within your own.”

“Muffet and I ended up attempting several ways to please them all with one meal.” The elemental’s flames brightened. “It’s still a work in progress. Thankfully, they’re mostly reasonable, and they aren’t seven children trying to share one body.”

“That would be an advantage,” Asgore murmured, moving to the counter to clean it off and attempt his salad again. “Chara and Frisk were… not reasonable. It got to the point where employees would hide whenever we went into a candy shop!”

“This sounds like a story Muffet would be interested in hearing,” Grillby replied, his flames giving a snap as he resisted laughing for the most part. 

“Oh, I’m sure I’ve got a few stories lying around that could draw a laugh or two,” Asgore grinned. “Chara and Frisk tend to get along like… what’s the term? ‘A house on fire?’”

“Oh, I’m wounded,” Grillby replied in amusement. “It sounds like they get along as good as any siblings, in my opinion.” 

“Oh, they get along well… it’s mostly Frisk’s love of teasing that ends up getting him in trouble.” Asgore’s smile became more gentle. “It is good to see him returning to that now. He has had to shoulder more burdens than I would like during the past few months.”

“Humans are demanding on both our Ambassadors, it would seem,” Grillby replied. “I remember when we first started, Frisk was dragged to countless meetings. Thankfully, most things have smoothed out, so the meetings are few and far between these days.”

“Yes, such meetings can be taxing, and Frisk was not happy to be dragged into the role of Ambassador again.”

Grillby looked up. “Chara has the role here?” 

Asgore nodded. 

“We found it prudent. Frisk never particularly liked the meetings, and it turned out Chara was handling some of the more complicated things before we even knew she was there. So, when she got her own form... it made sense to have her take over that role.”

“Ah, I see. Our Chara was...elsewhere during those times, and for now, Frisk is the...best representative we have. Though now that the meetings have settled down, they don’t mind it so much…”

“I guess they would be the best choice for now, hmm? I hope you have more reasonable Human leaders to deal with than we do though.” 

“William is a most reasonable man,” Grillby assured. “The city has their mixed views, but he keeps it from getting too far out of hand.”

“Yes… Toriel mentioned something about a William earlier. The plan is for us to meet with him at some point, yes?”

The elemental nodded. “We’ll talk to him upon our return. I think Toriel mentioned tomorrow.” 

Asgore nodded slowly. 

“Perhaps I will bring Chara out for the day then. She really shouldn’t be by herself, and if just the idea of him visiting was enough for her to break down…” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing in concern. 

Grillby’s flames dimmed. “Sir, I’m not sure what her capture entailed, but Reaper’s Harvest has left scars on our own children as well.” Some white danced along his form. “While I assure you that they are being dealt with, I advise to keep an eye on her. She was nothing more but an item in their eyes, and thus, treated as such. Highly prized--but still…” 

“We will,” Asgore promised. “It is still hard to believe that she’s alive. It’s such a relief, but… it makes it easy to forget how much she’s suffered.” The former king put down the wooden ladle he had been using to stir dressing into the salad.

“But she has told us what she experienced there.” Asgore clenched a fist tightly. “The whole time she was away from us, she was-” his breath caught and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, unable to continue.

The elemental paused, and then reached out, resting a hand on the Boss Monster’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that it went this way...I heard of it, and...if you need anything, our side is willing to help.” His flames dimmed, and he looked away, his vision focusing on something else entirely now. 

“Thank you,” Asgore rumbled quietly. “I hope we do not need it, but…” he glanced towards the living room where quiet voices could be heard as the others talked. “Seeing how she was before, and how she is now? I worry that she may never truly recover.”

The Boss Monster sighed.

“She is strong, but… she has been through so much…”

“She has only returned recently,” Grillby replied. “Perhaps with time, but for now...keep her close. Those from our own side are recovering--in different ways and at different paces, and hopefully, that’ll be the case with her as well.”

Asgore rubbed at his forehead briefly and took a deep, shuddering breath. 

“You are right. I should just… take this one step at a time. Hopefully my fears are unfounded, but after everything that has happened, it’s hard not to worry.”

“We’re parents, it’s what we do,” the elemental assured. He was sincere, but there was some light heartedness to it as well.

“I suppose some things stay the same, regardless of Rifts, don’t they?” the king lowered a hand and managed a smile. “I suppose I should thank you for coming and rescuing me… in more ways than one.”

The elemental chuckled. “When there’s a kitchen in need,” he teased.


	19. Lady Toriel

“To whoever invented elevators, may they be blessed with joy and merriment for all of time.”

Michael rolled his orange eyes. “Jeremiah, you’re being a little dramatic…”

“Excuse me?” the slightly older gentleman demanded. “I don’t see you hobbling around on one good leg, now do I?” 

“Still, I think that’s a little over the top,” Michael teased.

“Oh, if we weren’t going somewhere important, I’d put you in a headlock.”

“Security immunity!”

William bit back the urge to laugh as they reached the porch of the Dreemurr’s home, with their young Frisk watching quietly. “Between the two of you, I feel I’m in an impenetrable fort,” he called to the other two.

The two pointed at each other accusingly. “He started it,” they protested, though there were grins on their faces. 

Before they even reached the door, it opened to reveal Toriel in her formal blue robes, a smile that she couldn’t hold back spreading across her features as she surveyed the men before her. Internally, she relaxed slightly.

They seem friendly enough…

“Good morning, gentlemen,” she said aloud. “I trust you are well?”

William smiled, his red eyes lighting up slightly as he brought his full attention to her. “Greetings,” he replied. “We’re as well as we can be in each other’s presence.”

“Hey,” Michael complained, while Jeremiah smirked in amusement.

“Mrs. Dreemurr, I’d presume?” 

Toriel inclined her head slightly.

“You presume correctly. Unfortunately, you have just missed my husband going out with my daughters.” She narrowed her eyes at them, almost playfully. “Or perhaps fortunately, as it means your banter did not wake my girls.”

“Told you they’d hear you two across town,” William replied with amusement.

“Hey, it’s the Rookie you have to worry about. I can be quiet.”

Michael grinned. “Unless there’s stairs. Then he’s gonna complain all day.” 

“So much for being formal,” William muttered with a smile, shaking his head in exasperation.

“Fortunately for you, I believe we will be doing this on the ground floor,” Toriel said, stepping out of the way and gesturing the others inside. “Please, come in.”

The fusion glanced around and shuffled their way in, with Michael and William following, and Jeremiah trailing behind, due to all the walking he had been doing. 

Toriel led the group into the dining room, which had been cleared of everything but the table and chairs. The table was draped in a white cloth, with a few glasses set out and a pitcher of water in the middle. Undyne was already seated there, and grinned upon seeing the fusion, raising a hand in greeting. 

“This is Undyne,” Toriel introduced. “Our Executioner.”

Jeremiah paused. “Exe...cutioner…?” he asked--a wary tone in his voice as he heard the title. 

“Not what you’d think,” Undyne explained quickly.

“Perhaps it would be more accurate to say she is our military leader,” Toriel put in. “I apologize, our titles are rather ancient, and perhaps do not translate so well to modern day.”

Michael chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Maybe not so much…”

There was an odd laugh from the fusion, a glimmer of amusement in their eyes, as the souls within stirred. _I think it’s still appropriate_ , their Undyne stated within. 

‘ _Just because you can fit the role,_ ’ Asgore chuckled, though Frisk could sense the others’ laughter within.

It was a softer tone that spoke aloud. “Though the title does give you an intimidation factor...needless as that may be for you in particular.” The voice remained gentle--teasing almost with a fond smile. 

“Always better to stop a fight before it starts, right?” Undyne grinned hugely. “Still, sorry I wasn’t there to greet ya when you got here, punk,” the fish-woman said, shifting slightly, still dressed in her uniform. “Had some work come up last minute. Barely got here before you guys did!”

The fusion grinned as their ear fins twitched, but then, a more formal vibe came from them. “You made it, that’s what matters.”

“True,” Undyne chuckled, while Toriel took a seat next to her.

“Well, that is most of us here, I believe. Unfortunately, Sans, the third member of our leadership, is currently unavailable. Though I will let him know what happens during this meeting.”

William nodded, before Frisk came forth, tugging on his hand to guide him to a chair. He chuckled. “I’m moving,” he assured as the little ambassador went to grab their own little perch. His gaze went back to Toriel. “Thank you for having us on such short notice.” 

“Well, with everything that has been happening, I’d much rather have this dealt with sooner, rather than later,” Toriel explained. “If the Rift is to remain open, I would like to ensure that we can progress as peacefully as possible.

“To that effect, I have invited one of our Human allies here. He’s not arrived yet, but I am afraid we Monsters cannot speak for Humanity just yet.”

Jeremiah frowned as he took a seat, getting the weight off his leg. “Are Monsters having issues over here as well?” he asked out of concern.

“More so recently than before,” Toriel replied carefully. “There have been… occurrences that have caused people to fear us. It is… understandable, even if they point the blame at the wrong people.”

“You’d think that the fact that we’re the ones working the hardest to _solve_ this mess might have been a clue,” Undyne muttered, her eye narrowed in frustration.

Jeremiah shook his head. “Such a shame. There are plenty of good Monsters out there, and then it’s that kind of thinking that drives me nuts.”

William sighed. “I do try to keep relations with the Monsters open, though I do agree, people can sometimes make it difficult.”

“Fortunately, Sans is out dealing with the problem.” Toriel settled back in her chair for a moment with a soft sigh. “We hope that, without the source of their fears, we will be able to return to the way things were before this occurred.”

“I hope that turns out well,” William replied. “I know how difficult that can be.” 

“I hope so too,” Toriel replied, the ghost of a smile hovering at her lips. “Nothing has gotten out of hand yet, but-”

There was a frenzied knocking at the door, and Undyne rose swiftly, gesturing for Toriel to stay seated.

“I got this, you just stay there.”

With that, the fish-woman hurried off to answer the door and a few moments later, they heard a man’s apologetic voice. 

“I’m very sorry I’m late, We got stuck in traffic on the way here, and-”

“It’s fine, Jake.” Undyne’s tone was slightly amused as her voice carried over to the others. “Who’s this here?”

“Oh, this is my daughter, Jennifer.” A short, well-dressed man with a receding hairline appeared in the doorway, wringing his hands nervously. Behind him, was a girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen with long blonde hair and wearing a dull green blouse. 

“She um, left school early today,” he continued. “And I don’t like leaving her alone in the house, so I was hoping maybe she could stay here?” 

The man finally looked up and started slightly, his dark blue eyes widening at stares of the three otherworlders. 

“Oh! Hello, there, are you the um…?”

“These are our visitors, yes,” Toriel said quietly, looking over to the girl. “Jennifer? I’m afraid we don’t have much here for a girl your age, but my son is outside in the garden. I’m sure he would be happy to show you around.”

The girl nodded and dashed off without a word. The short Human looked after her with a sigh while Undyne came up behind him. 

“I’m sorry about her,” he said, returning his attention to the table. “By all accounts, it’s been a long day. She’s not usually so… quiet.”

“It’s no trouble,” Michael replied. “Lots of people in the room--besides, she’d probably find better things to do than listen to us talk.”

“I’m sure you’re right…” Jake sighed, then took a seat at the head of the table, while Undyne returned to her prior position. 

“Anyways, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jacob Nikkosen, and I represent the American G.R.E.E.N. corporation. We have been proud allies of Monsterkind since just after they came to the surface.”

The albino nodded. “The name’s William,” he started, before motioning to the others in turn. “This is head of security, Michael Rendon, and Jeremiah...now what do I call you these days?” 

“Retired,” Jeremiah supplied. “Just self-assigned myself back on duty with everything that’s been going on where we are.” 

“Where you are…” Jacob muttered, glancing around at the three. “Yes… lady Toriel mentioned that you three are from… somewhere else?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Michael replied, while William glanced to Toriel, uncertain to how much the other Human knew about this. 

“Yes…” Jacob said carefully. “What she told me was… difficult to believe. Is it true then?” he looked to William. “Are you from a… another world?”

William nodded, his crimson eyes going back to Jacob. “I can’t see any other way to put it.” 

The man sighed and rubbed at his forehead. 

“I’ve never had reason to mistrust Toriel before. Not that I really do now,” he added quickly, noticing Undyne’s sudden glare. “But it’s still a lot to take on faith, you must admit. Not to mention others will not be as inclined to believe this as I am.”

“I’m used to having to reason with that kind of outlook,” William replied. “And while I don’t care for a show, I have heard that we have quite some differences between these worlds. If words aren’t enough…” He shrugged. “It’s show, don’t tell. That works most of the time.” 

“Yes,” Jacob raised his head and leaned forward. “I was told that where you come from, Humans had magic? Is that true as well?”

William nodded. “You’d be hard pressed to find a Human without magic where we come from.” 

“I… don’t suppose you’d be able to give a demonstration?”

Jeremiah looked up. “Sir? Which would be best for this?”

William glanced over. “While you two are showy--perhaps not in the house. Actually...” He glanced to the pitcher. “If I may borrow a cup and some water?” With permission given, he poured a glass of water, and without warning, swiped the cup. An instant later, a bubble of gray went over it. The cup, and the water froze where they were, completely colorless. 

Undyne gave an impressed whistle at the display of power, and Toriel’s eye flicked to William for a moment, her brow creasing in thought.

“Jesus…” Jacob muttered, staring at the suspended droplets of water in fascination. “I wonder if we used to be able to do that…”

William shrugged as he grabbed the cup, carefully recollecting the water. “I’m told magic in general works differently in our worlds,” he murmured, eventually putting the glass back down. 

“I cannot say for sure,” Toriel spoke up quietly. “The Human wizards did hold much power before, but I’m afraid the specifics of their magic was not a field I studied myself.”

Jacob shook his head slowly in wonder, then leaned back in his chair.

“Well, you can consider me convinced, regardless. Not that that makes it any easier to wrap my brain around, but, you’re definitely different. I’m assuming those eyes aren’t contacts either?”

William frowned in confusion. “I’ve heard of contacts to help increase your vision, but, these are our natural eye colors, if that’s what you mean.” 

“My daughter likes to wear colored contacts, so I wasn’t sure.” the man replied. “I’ve never seen people with eyes like yours before.”

“Colored contacts?” Michael asked in confusion.

“Probably changes the iris color,” Jeremiah assumed. “Would help some of our actors anyways,” he added. Michael frowned, not liking the idea in general, due to the importance of eye color.

“Likewise,” William replied. “Eyes are the first thing we tend to notice. Your daughter has a color we know of, but I’ve never seen blue eyes of your shade. Ours are more vibrant.”

“Well, that’s not her actual eye color… she’s wearing her violet contacts today. Her eyes are really hazel, flecked with gold…”

“We can talk about eye color stuff later,” Undyne jumped in. “Don’t we have things we’re supposed to talk about here?”

William gave a chuckle. “I suppose we’ll save the casual talk for later.” 

“At the rate we’re going, I’m sure we’ll have the chance.” Toriel smiled. “But for now, there is something pressing that I would like us to ensure is dealt with before anything else.”

“By all means, lady Toriel.” Jacob agreed, albeit reluctantly. “Please, go ahead.”

The Boss Monster sat up straight, folding her hands in her lap.

“When the Rift first opened,” she began. “Something was unleashed, by accident, from your world into ours. What you call… Beast Monsters.”

Frisk was the one who decided to speak up. “That’s...correct,” they replied. “We...we know that’s been creating a lot of consequences for the Monsters here.” 

“Especially with my people,” Jacob interjected. “While I believe Toriel when she says the Monsters were not responsible for such a thing, it is easy for people to point fingers at this “dark side” of Monsters.”

“We don’t have Beasts here,” Undyne put in. “Not before this, anyways. And if you think convincing people that they’re not our Monsters is hard, try telling them that they’re creatures from another world!”

Frisk swallowed, tugging at their cloak, while the other souls tried to calm them down. “We want to fix it. The Monsters on this side are the last ones to be pinned for this.”

“Fortunately, we have a way to do so now,” Jacob smiled. “With you all here, if we can convince enough of the higher-ups that this was not the fault of Monsters here, it would go a long way in helping things settle down.”

“Of course,” Toriel continued. “They would want confirmation that such a thing would not happen again. Something that we are inclined to agree with.”

Frisk nodded, looking up. “When we found where the...Beast Monsters were coming from. I...I was told they were dealt with…” The fusion closed their eyes, and then looked up, seeming much calmer. “Our current Royal Scientist made sure they were taken care of--plus, the Rift has been put under control, and shouldn’t open in random areas anymore…” 

“Not that I really follow any of this,” William murmured. “But I’ve spoken with their scientist numerous times. I’ve heard about the ‘clean up’ so to speak.”

Toriel nodded, pouring a cup of water for herself and drinking deep before she spoke.

“That will go a long ways into strengthening our position. I am glad to hear that we may not have to deal with that again.”

“Which brings us back to you.” Jacob looked to the otherworlders, folding his hands on the table. “We have an open Rift, and two different worlds on either side of it. How do we proceed to deal with this?”

William breathed out, closing his eyes in thought. “I’m mainly seeking out safety for my people. Even if there is no large ‘mingling’ between our worlds, I simply want to be on good terms with this side.” 

“Hmm, that might be a good thing, actually,” Jacob mused. “People over here, _especially_ ones in power, tend to not want to worry about major things like this. If we keep contact to a minimum, they may not really care about what goes on,” he grimaced suddenly.

“Not to mention it can give them an excuse to use you as a scapegoat… especially because of what happened with the Beasts.”

“Oh, I’ve been used as a scapegoat before,” William replied. “I can live with them tossing blame my way. Honestly, I don’t think most people will be using the Rift at all. But because it is there, and people can use it--I want to have an idea of what’s going on with it.” 

“I think we can agree on that.” Jacob inclined his head slightly. “Here’s what I would suggest. Let’s use this meeting as a… precursor. Figure out what is different, what to expect, how we can possibly compromise. There is a larger Human-Monster relations meeting that is supposed to be held in a couple days. I can pull a few strings to get you there. Then you can speak with the opposition, get to know more of the leaders and democrats, and possibly work this whole thing out as smoothly as we can. How does that sound?”

“You would know your government best,” William replied. “As the visitor, I trust your ideas. And hopefully, as you say--if it’s use is low key, with only a good handful of people using it regularly, it shouldn’t be an issue to anyone higher up.” 

“We can hope, at least,” Jacob agreed. “There will be problems regardless, but I’m sure a man in your position is used to dealing with such things.” 

William chuckled. “Oh, I’ve had my share.”

Frisk looked up with a smile. “But William’s nice, you probably won’t run into many issues…” 

“It’s not William we’re worried about…” Jacob trailed off for a moment. “Well, not you, anyways.”

“Then what’s the big concern?” Jeremiah asked. “Aside from the obvious Beast Monster thing and the Rift existing in the first place.” 

“There’s not a big concern per se,” Toriel supplied slowly. “Just worries about how they will take your presence. We will have to see, it has been some time since I was able to go to one of those meetings.”

“Hasn’t helped over the past few months that our best diplomats haven’t been able to help,” Undyne grumbled.

“We’ll try to keep ourselves low key and non-hostile,” William stated. “If both sides are looking for peace, than that should be the outcome.” 

“We’ll do everything we can to help with that,” Toriel asserted. Jacob nodded in agreement. 

“As will we. You will have our support. And I must say, I am fascinated by the idea of your world. This sort of thing isn’t something I thought I’d experience outside of a novel.”

“Then may all go well,” William replied. “I would like to peacefully coexist, and the differences do garner my attention.” 

“Well, then…” Jacob leaned back, chewing on his lip for a moment before saying, 

“How does your government work?”

Jeremiah snickered. “We’re going to be here all day.” Michael just gave an exasperated groan.


	20. Riffing and Raffing

Two days later, Gerson, Grillby, Muffet, Frisk, and Rex entered the Dreemurr’s home. They had showed up an hour before the Humans would appear, allowing others time to relax or talk before they had to head for the meeting. Gerson poked his head into the kitchen, where Grillby was overseeing Asgore so that another kitchen disaster wouldn’t spring forth.

“Hey,” the turtle called to the Boss Monster. “Any idea where your Chara’s at?” 

Asgore turned his head to look at the turtle.

“I believe she is upstairs, in her room,” he replied. “I think Frisk is keeping her company while she rests.” 

“Think she’d mind a guest, or would she still appreciate some breathing room?” 

Asgore gave a small hum of thought, absently wiping his hands clean on the apron he wore.

“I don’t see why not,” he said at last. “She’s definitely been improving. Just be careful with her, she is still easily startled.”

“I don’t plan to go barging in anyways. Just been meaning to talk to her.” 

“She’d probably appreciate that, to be honest.” Asgore smiled. “She prefers to have people around these days. She doesn’t like being alone.”

“Then upstairs I go,” the turtle replied as he cut through the kitchen, not wanting to double back if he didn’t have to. Ascending the stairs, he heard the soft sound of music playing from the room his Frisk had occupied the first time they had come here, at the end of the hall.

He approached, calmly, knowing that his footsteps were usually easily heard, though he paid mind to music, hoping to find a pause in it before he would knock. He waited this long, he could wait a few more minutes. 

After a moment, the music stopped, and there was the faint sound of a contented murmur from behind the door, followed by a soothing voice. He couldn’t quite make out the soft words, but it was an easy guess that it was the other world’s Frisk.

He stepped forth, and then quietly knocked on the door. “Who’s playing all that riff-raff?” he called, though his tone was a joking one. 

There was a slight scuffling sound, then the door opened to reveal Frisk, who grinned at the turtle. 

“Well, it’s not my fault you old-timers don’t have the ear for music anymore. Gotta move with the times, Grampa.” 

“It never hurts to learn from classics either,” Gerson chuckled. “Your sister here, I’d assume?” 

The boy nodded and stepped back, revealing Chara’s sparsely furnished room. The girl in question was curled up on the bed, her head raised to look at Gerson. Fear was still prevalent in her aura, though perhaps not as much as it had been before.

“There she is,” Gerson murmured gently. “Glad to see you’re feeling a bit better. Seems your brother does have his perks.” Again, the tone was gentle and teasing. 

“Hey!”

A small giggle emitted from Chara at that, and she smiled at the turtle, while Frisk grumbled his way back to the small stool he’d been sitting on and picked up his guitar again.

“I go through all this trouble and this is the thanks I get,” he shook his head in mock despair. “See if I ever do anything for you again.”

Gerson snickered. “There we are,” he murmured softly. “You up for talking, or would you rather gang up on your brother?” 

“Does your Frisk have to deal with this? You’d think people would be a little more respectful of the savior of Monsterkind.”

Chara shook her head at her brother.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked Gerson quietly.

“Well, I wanted to ask back during the first visit. And it does entail the fighting--if you’re not up to talking about it right now, just say so.” 

Chara flinched, but stilled herself quickly.

“I can try…”

“I’m old, I’m good at waiting,” Gerson assured.

Chara was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. Then, she looked to Frisk.

“Could you…”

Frisk nodded at her unspoken question, rising from his seat and picking up his instrument.

“I’ll just be out in the hallway. Holler if this old guy bothers you too much.” 

With that, he swiftly exited the room, closing the door with a quiet snicking sound behind him.

The old turtle moved over, taking a seat with a sigh. “Should take a hint from Alphys and Undyne and get an elevator in this house,” he murmured with some mirth, before looking down to her quietly, his gaze gentle. 

Chara didn’t respond, just kept watching him, waiting for what he was going to say.

“Well, my hammer’s got a nice scorch mark on it,” he started quietly. “Back during when we fought the Beasts...your attacks were erratic.” His tone remained soft, and honestly, there was more concern than anything else. 

Chara lowered her head in shame, her hands attempting to take hold of the blankets beneath her, but phasing through them instead. 

“I… was weak,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry…”

“Well, it didn’t hit me, so no damage done,” the turtle stated softly. “I’m just more concerned that your attacks were all over the place that day. I never did gather what happened, so you’ll have to pardon my lack of knowledge on this.”

“My… my energy was low. Couldn’t sleep. Magic was weakening. I… I couldn’t control it.”

He shook his head. “Brave little Lass to still charge right into battle in that condition. Not that this is a concern in the moment, but it sounds like once you’re back on your feet, you shouldn’t have to worry about it.” 

“Alphys says she’s working on some improvements for a new body.” Chara sank a little lower, part of her passing through the bed. “I don’t want to die again.”

“She’s definitely an expert with all the whatchamacallits, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He breathed out, folding his hands, studying Chara’s aura as he carefully chose his words. 

“It was stupid,” the girl muttered, self-directed anger spiking as she spoke. “I don’t know why I thought I could take that thing. It barely even had to try to take me out of the fight.”

“Chara,” Gerson called firmly. “Your family was in danger. You’re a fighter, and so you went headlong in to protect them. Was it the best course of action? Probably not, but in the heat of the moment...that’s the kind of choice that we make. You’d be hard pressed to find a fighter in your situation who didn’t fling themselves at the fight. Your parents, your brother...your unborn sister--they needed you, and you came flying in.” 

“To get caught out of the air and tossed about like a rag doll. All that training… all those battles I’ve fought, and… I get destroyed before I can even do anything. If it wasn’t for… what I am… I’d be dead.” Chara’s emotions were rapidly spiraling down into anger and misery.

Gerson stood, and approached. “Chara.” 

“I almost lost everything,” the girl continued, almost as if she’d forgotten he was there. “I finally told Kid the truth… he accepted me… and then…” she clutched at her head. “Dark. Alone. Scared. It hurts… _it hurts_!”

Gerson stretched out a hand, though some of his fraying magic loosened, reaching for her. The aura was erratic--he had to calm her down. “Chara--Chara I need you to listen to me.” 

The girl shuddered, her incorporeal shoulders shaking as she started crying, unable to speak any more as she hiccupped and sobbed.

“Easy,” the turtle soothed, gently nearing a hand to her shoulder. “You’re safe now…” He sighed. “...how ‘bout I tell you a story?” 

Chara managed a nod… or it could have just been a coincidence. It was difficult to tell with how hard she was shaking.

Out of habit, Gerson drew an arm around her--something he did when he had a child by him. “Now, once upon a long time ago, I was a warrior in training. Now, in the kingdom, that required years of training. And it was tough--especially with the captain we had then. The no nonsense type. Either way...when I was there...I soared through the ranks--training wise--and I was at the top of the class by the end of it.

“However...I was a Rookie, so I was still grouped with people who’ve been out there a while. Not that I minded none, and so...one day, we were out on patrols, and we heard others crying for help. We ran, and we stumbled upon a small homestead being attacked. A mother and her children.

“...I didn’t think. I don’t remember how I got in between them, but I lashed out, and uh...well the end result was...I got my tail handed to me, it was a darn embarrassment--I would have died had the others not been there.

“Point I’m trying to make is, I was in a similar position with similar results, and...there is one thing I think we share in this aspect, and that was experience. You can train all you want, until your lungs give out, and your body is absolutely done with you, but...sure you can strengthen yourself, practice how to execute your attacks, but...it cannot ever prepare you for the heat of a battle. 

“For each one is different, and the last thing you were trained for was dealing with a Beast Monster. Now, I’m just an old Monster who likes stories these days, but, I definitely heard that you can give my Urchin a run for her money in a sparring match. Now, that is a lot of raw power there, mind you, and the only difference between you and her, is the experience gap. And, when I met you, I take a general reading on people. You may not have been at the peak of your condition, but from what I gathered…

“You are a strong and independent young woman. Might not feel like it right now, you’ve been kicked down--and hard, and while it might take some time, little Lass...I have a feeling you’ll be bouncing back up on your feet soon enough. Might not be today, or tomorrow, but you’ve got a loving family and supportive friends to back you up. Don’t forget that part.” 

As he spoke Chara had grown quieter and quieter. By the time he finished, she was both silent and still, hunched over beside the older Monster, her aura rife with conflicting emotions, but far more calm than it had been before.

Gerson looked down at her. “Don’t be hard on yourself now, ya hear? We’ve all got to start somewhere, and even the best of us can’t win every fight. That doesn’t stop us from trying though. We may have had those fights where we got kicked to the ground, but at the same time...we had a moment to learn a little something, and improve on our flaws. You might have crashed to the ground, but...let us help you up, all right?” 

“...okay…” 

The turtle breathed out softly. “You’re going to be okay, little Lass. You’re a tough cookie.” 

“Too tough for my own good…”

“Depends how you mean it,” Gerson stated gently.

“Tough enough to follow through on bad choices,” was the quiet reply.

“It wasn’t a bad choice persay... just one where the consequences were the last thing on your mind--and who could blame you? The thing was attacking your family.” 

Chara shook her head slowly.

“Wasn’t talking about the Beast.”

“Oh?” He looked to her in concern. “Then I’m afraid you might have to elaborate, or I’m not going to understand.” 

Chara hesitated. 

“No, not… not now. Suffice it to say… that wasn’t the first time I’ve been powerful enough to follow through on choices that made everyone else suffer.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m not going to push any further than I have, just...if you ever want to talk about it, well, you’ve got this old pile of bones. Though, I’m sure there are others you can turn to as well. I don’t want to put any more cents in unless I have it all laid out in front of me at this point. And that’s not what you want to do.” 

“There’s a lot to lay out.” Chara gave a half-hearted shrug. “You’re going to a meeting anyways. You don’t need this.”

“Sounds like a long story--but I’ll have a lot of time afterwards to listen if you want it.” 

“We’ll see, I guess.” Chara rose slightly so she was on the bed instead of in it. “You should probably get ready to go though…”

“Probably so, little Lass. Want me to grab your brother back a moment so you can torment him a little before he goes?” 

“Yes please.”

Gerson nodded, and headed for the door, opening it. “All right, where’s the Riff Raff now?” he called. 

“Riffing and Raffing, apparently,” Frisk replied, looking over to the turtle. “No respect for the arts, I tell you.”

“Heh, get your music in here,” was his response, though there was still a slight bit of mirth somewhere in his words. 

“I’m going, I’m going,” Frisk was shaking his head, but he complied, heading back into the room.

“So, sis? One more song for the road?”

“Please?” Chara’s quiet voice replied. 

“As the lady commands. Alright, I think I have just the thing…”

\---

“You know, why do people have to have fancy buildings for these meetings?” Gerson grumbled as he trekked along with the large group consisting of his Frisk, William, Michael, Jeremiah, Grillby and Muffet, along with the other world’s Toriel, Undyne, and their own Frisk.

“What’s wrong with fancy buildings?” Jeremiah chuckled.

“Nothing, it’s just that the meetings could take place anywhere.”

“Long walks?” Michael guessed.

“Been walking all day,” the turtle muttered. “Not as young as I used to be.” 

“Hah!” Undyne grinned. “You were _never_ as young as you used to be, old man!”

 

“I’m sorry,” Toriel frowned in concern, looking over to the turtle. “I did not realize… we could have drove, but I wished to see how well I can do without the cane now. I could call Asgore and get him to bring the van if you would like.”

Gerson waved a hand. “I’ll live. These old bones haven’t been doing much lately, that’s all...how far are we walking?” 

“It’s not too far, we managed to have it set up just outside the Monster district,” Toriel replied. “We do not usually hold them in this city, but with Jacob’s help, we were able to make it as convenient as possible. It will still be perhaps a half-hour walk though…”

“But not for this geezer!” Undyne crowed, swooping in and hoisting Gerson into the air with no apparent effort, lifting him over her head and placing him on her back. She grinned cheekily up at him.

The turtle gave a sound of surprise, before half heartedly glaring down at her, while the little fusion laughed out right, the fins twitching. “Sorry, Gramps!”

“Two Urchins five feet away from each other,” he grumbled. “The universe must be out to get me.”

“Hey, it’s only fair, right?” the fish-warrior smiled widely, spurred on by Frisk and Toriel’s chuckles. “How many times have you done the same for me? Just returning the favor, old man.”

“Well, then to even the odds, maybe I should find your Gerson. Oh, I’m certain between the two of you, and the two of us, we’ll have quite a few stories--”

“NO!” The fusion suddenly exclaimed, waving their arms frantically. “Don’t let him!”

The teen Frisk burst out laughing at that, while Undyne grumbled, adjusting her hold on the turtle.

“Stupid years of childhood stories, what was I thinking, following you around as a kid?”

Gerson chuckled. “I don’t know, the mailman one was rather enjoyable.” 

Rex gave a little smirk, while the fusion groaned, and buried their face into Rex’s shoulder to muffle the sound of exasperation. 

Toriel shook her head at them, then quickened her pace so that she was walking closer with the Humans. 

“We have worked hard to make meetings between Humans and Monsters fairly casual events,” she said quietly. “Unless there is something major going on, usually we’ll meet in a large room, and mingle with the people we need to talk with. I believe that is what Jacob has set up here, though due to the Beasts, I cannot guarantee that there will not be a slightly more hostile tone than is usual. I have not been able to attend one of these in months.”

William nodded. “I can live with less formal--and I appreciate the warning. Hopefully we can keep things smooth for all sides of this.”

“Well, as the Beasts have not had a chance to cause any harm in some time, thanks to Sans’s efforts, we may have less resistance than what Asgore has told me from before.” Toriel smoothed out her purple dress for a moment before continuing. “I do not believe it will go too poorly, at any rate. I believe that even our worst enemies here are just as afraid of standing against us as they are of standing with us.”

Jeremiah looked up. “Rookie and I will keep ourselves out of trouble, at the very least.”

William smiled, but resisted replying to the comment.

“Good,” Toriel murmured, staring off into space for a moment. “I just hope that our story does not cause too much trouble…”

“In the worst case scenario,” the albino started. “They might just end up more focused on Humans from my side than the Beasts.” 

“True. Though at this stage, I am more concerned about them believing it in the first place. I was surprised Jacob took so little convincing, to be honest. Some will insist on being shown the Rift, or being brought through to your side, I am certain of it.”

William shrugged. “Well, it’s not like I have an army waiting on the other side to come charging in, at least. If they need to see, then I guess we’ll work with it.” 

“I am glad to hear it,” Toriel chuckled lightly. “That would make things a bit awkward.”

Michael dramatically threw his hands up. “Oh these guys? They’re just...on a tour…”

“All dressed up for the army festival,” Jeremiah added.

“Which is totally a thing.” 

The former queen could not help the smile that spread across her face. 

“We certainly do not have those kinds of troubles, but to be fair, we do tend to keep our armies… in our _sleevies_.”


	21. Crimson Orbs

“Well,” Toriel began, taking a sip from the cup of deep red punch she held. “This has gone about as well as can be expected so far…” 

The former Queen stood with the otherworlders, as well as her son, off to the side of the spacious room filled with various delegates, officials and guests that had been invited to the meeting. Undyne had wandered off at some point, probably over to the snack table, if Toriel was any judge. 

“Frankly, I wouldn’t believe us either if I was them,” Jeremiah stated. “At least they haven’t carted us off for insanity issues.”

Michael snickered. “You’d be the only one qualified to go.”

Jeremiah sighed. “Someone remind me that he said that when we leave…” Though he was smiling.

William rolled his eyes. “Well, we haven’t started an interdimensional war anyhow.” 

“Well at least your little display of power caught their attention.” Frisk sighed and rubbed at his head. “Though _of course_ they brought up Chara.” His voice took on a slightly high-pitched mocking tone.

“Ooh! But you used to have magic too, and then you claimed it was someone else entirely! So which is it, Frisk? Which is it? Did you come from another dimension too? Ooh la la!”

Michael snorted his amusement. “This is why I chose to be a protector and not a diplomat.”

“You would have burned down the meeting place out of boredom,” Jeremiah replied.

“That’s a secret.”

“From whom?” 

“And once again, it is left to the grown-ups to keep things running and wipe everyone’s noses clean,” Toriel cast an amused glance at William as she spoke.

The albino smirked. “Alas, I had no one to watch them at home.” 

“Hey!” William’s two companions protested.

The teen groaned and rubbed at his face, then looked about the room. 

“I’ll be glad when this whole thing is over, at least…” He paused, his face lighting up as he saw something. 

“I’m… just gonna go over to the snack table for a bit. If anyone asks, I’m not here.”

“Frisk?” Toriel asked. “What are you up to?”

The boy pointed over to where Jennifer stood by herself not far from the large table set in the middle of the room.

“There’s a pretty girl over there all by herself! This is a travesty that I must fix at once!”

William blinked, and then shook his head. So much for a counterpart--he could never see the fusion acting like that. 

Toriel sighed as her son ran off. 

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. He hasn’t had as much time for a social life until recently.”

Jeremiah chuckled. “I just hope not too many parents are beating him off with a stick.” 

“I don’t think so,” Toriel mused. “I’ve never heard of anything at least. That boy can have quite the silver tongue when he so chooses.”

“He can probably keep himself out of trouble,” Michael assured.

A smirk slowly crept across Jeremiah’s face. “Says you.”

“Oh well,” Toriel sighed. “Regardless, it will be a while before the people we spoke to earlier will come up with a decision. Probably a few days… possibly weeks, depending on how important they view it. In the meantime, it is probably best to have as many people on our side as possible.”

“In other words,” Michael grumbled. “Mingling. Not in my job description.” 

“You could have waited outside,” Toriel pointed out.

“I would, but…”

William rolled his eyes. “And I thought it couldn’t get worse,” he mused. “I’m not going to drop dead.”

“You almost did though, I have to make sure you come back alive. I shall not be written down as ‘guard who let Leader die in another dimension’ thank you.” 

“I am sure you will have plenty of other chances for fame,” Toriel murmured, casting glances around the place, then making her way towards the clusters of Humans. “Well… shall we?”

“It’s for the best,” William replied, striding forth, while Michael resisting the urge to sigh, and trudge after them, grabbing Jeremiah’s arm as he went past. 

“You’re not ditching me for a chair just yet.”

Jeremiah bit back the urge to laugh. 

\---

Monsters and Humans alike mingled with the upper-class for a time, answering questions as best they could, and trying to keep things calm. Fortunately, so far no-one seemed ready to declare war, which was a start, at least. 

After nearly an hour, Jacob approached Frisk and William, mopping his brow with a silk handkerchief.

“Well, we’ve made some progress, I think,” he said by way of greeting. “I have some people who are, shall we say, interested in the opportunities this unique situation opens up.”

The fusion looked up, a calm, if tired aura coming from them. “At least there’s that.”

“I don’t hear death threats, so I’ll take it,” William replied. “Anything else we should know?” 

Jacob hesitated for a moment.

“Yes, actually. But,” he glanced around. “Not here. I have some news you’ll want to hear, but there’s too many ears around.”

William’s red eyes moved, analyzing the area. “True,” he murmured. “And this is likely delicate information for the time being.”

Frisk looked up. “Wouldn’t mind a break from everybody…”

The red eye smiled gently and ruffled their hair. “Sorry about the extra meetings.” 

Jacob managed a smile. 

“I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out. For now,” he started walking across the room. “Come with me, I’ve got a place we can talk.”

Frisk took William’s hand, as they followed after Jacob, with the other souls stirring softly, wondering what would be in store with dealing with the government here. William was probably the fairest Human they would ever get, and doubted that this would ever be as simple.

Jacob made his way around the other Humans gathered, checking every once in awhile that William and Frisk were still following him. He led them to a door on the far side of the room and opened it, heading through.

On the other side of the door was a small hallway, with three other doors directly opposite the one they had come through. Jacob went to the middle one. Upon opening it, it was revealed to be a moderately sized room with a large table in the middle. Wardrobes lined the walls, Frisk counted seven of them.

“This building gets used for all kinds of different meetings,” the short Human explained. “But usually, it’s the domain of some of the local acting groups. This is one of their dressing rooms. The walls have been sound-proofed, so we shouldn’t have to worry too much about eavesdroppers.”

“Sounds difficult for you,” William replied. “Are political things always so…”

“They are to us,” Frisk stated. “You’re just seeing it from the ‘visiting’ perspective, now.”

“Well, to be fair, things have been more difficult in the political aspect recently,” Jacob said, shutting the door behind them. “I’m afraid the Beasts caused a lot of damage before the Monsters drove them back, which led to certain unsavoury types gaining more power.”

“Always another issue for the Monsters, no matter where we are, it would seem,” William stated. “We had Beasts attack our cities, but it was smoothed out rather easily…”

“Well, if Beasts are from your side, that makes more sense, yes?” Jacob took a seat and settled into it with a sigh. “A lot of people don’t see the distinction between Beasts and Monsters right now. Even with everything they’re doing to help.”

Frisk bit their lip, not commenting on the matter, while William shook his head. “Have they not seen how big those things can get?” 

“To some people, it doesn’t matter.” Jacob pulled his handkerchief out and mopped his brow again. “It’s actually because of people like that I brought you here.”

“Oh dear,” William muttered. “What are we dealing with?” 

There was a sudden, harsh click as the door was locked from the outside, and Jacob gave an apologetic glance to the two otherworlders as men dressed in black clothes and masks jumped out from the wardrobes, already aiming weapons at the two.

“Sorry about this,” the short man murmured, as the men fired small darts at the otherworlders.

The two had been leaping up a moment before the click, but their senses hadn’t been fast enough. There was no time to react--the attacks were fast--too fast--and Frisk hit the ground, voices dying away in their mind as everything went black...and William hit the floor with a harsh thud. 

Jacob winced at the sound of bodies crashing to the floor, then looked over to another man who was just now coming out of the last wardrobe.

“There. I held up my end of the deal.” Jacob barely managed to keep his voice steady, and he couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through him at the sight of the other Human.

A scarred face tilted down, three long scars narrowly missing his closed eyes. “Yes…” Crimson orbs opened. “Indeed you have,” the voice practically purred as he moved, nudging the fusion with a foot as a smirk slowly crossed his features. 

\---

“...and then, no joke, he falls asleep on me!” Frisk said, gesturing with his arms for dramatic effect. “So I spent the next twenty minutes stuck on the top of a tree! Do you have any idea how hard it is to wake that guy up? Dude literally sleeps like the dead!”

Jennifer laughed at that, and the boy smiled, glad to see he’d finally managed to get a laugh out of her. He took a sip of his drink in victory, scratching at his neck and wishing he was allowed to wear his scarf to these things. 

“To be fair, you kinda deserved it,” the girl mentioned as she smiled, brushing a strand of long hair out of her face.

“Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard,” Frisk admitted. “But what was I supposed to do? I had to get some big-brother protectiveness in there, and that’s kind of hard when both the guy in question, _and_ Chara, coulda snapped me like a twig!”

There was another flowing laugh.

“The joys of being the underdog, huh?” she finally managed. 

“You kidding me? The underdog is so high above me, he might as well be in the clouds! I smack a fly and it just gives me a funny look and then goes off!”

“You are too much,” Jennifer giggled, draining the rest of her own drink and setting it on the table.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Frisk looked around the room for a moment, stretching his arms into the air with a tired groan. “You think they’ll be letting up anytime soon?”

Jennifer gave a half-hearted shrug in response. 

“Hard to say… I don’t usually come to these things, but…Dad insisted on it today for some reason.”

“Peachy,” Frisk looked back to the girl. “Well, they probably don’t need us anymore. I’m gonna go out and get a breath of fresh air. You wanna join? It’s getting a little stuffy in here.”

Jennifer hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t really care about this stuff anyways.”

“Ugh, I know, right?” Frisk said, beginning to make his way across the room, with Jennifer following close behind. “These meetings are always so boring. Just a bunch of people droning on and on… I’m gonna be so happy when I don’t have to deal with it anymore.”

“But, aren’t you like, an ambassador or something?” Jennifer questioned, keeping pace behind the teen.

“Only temporarily,” Frisk replied, weaving in and out of the crowds as he headed for the door. “I think we might get our old ambassador back soon though, she was just out of commission for a while. Or hey, maybe I can convince these new guys to help with it!”

“The guys ‘from another world?’” 

“Yeah, crazy, huh? A lot of weird things happening in the past few years.”

The teens reached the exit and stepped through. Frisk blinked in surprise. 

“Wow… it got really cloudy out here. It definitely wasn’t this bad when we were heading over.”

Jennifer frowned at the oncoming clouds. “I hope it doesn’t rain. That would really mess up my hair.”

“Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” Frisk grinned then looked around for a moment.

“Hey there’s an overhang over there,” he pointed to the far end of the building, opposite the street. “If it does rain, we can keep dry under there!”

“As long as it doesn’t get windy,” Jennifer grumbled, but despite her protests, she followed him over anyways, still warily glancing at the clouds. 

“Gonna wish I brought a jacket at this rate,” Frisk muttered to himself. “Of all the days to take a walk…”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky?”

“Well, I have been on a streak so far,” Frisk relented. “Who knows, maybe I’ll find the lottery ticket stuck to my shoe.”

“Aren’t you like, super rich already?” Jennifer asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion. 

“Well, technically my parents are, but we don’t really use that extra-”

Frisk stopped at the sound of a door slamming open, and both he and Jennifer turned to see a group of black-clad men coming out of the maintenance exit. They were carrying a couple of objects between them, both heavily wrapped, one appearing almost man-sized, while the other was far smaller. 

Something about the men sent his instincts into overdrive. Something about them was… wrong.

“Hey,” he called out, stepping forward. “What do you think you’re-”

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him backwards. He tried to yelp in surprise but, as he opened his mouth a damp cloth was pressed over it. He tried to struggle, but after a few brief moments, his felt his consciousness slipping away.

The last thing he thought before he passed out, was;

_This is the last time I take a girl outside, I swear to god._

\---

“So this horrible person--” Michael started.

“That being me,” Jeremiah interjected with a sly grin.

“Decided that he’d be better off sitting here like the laziest thing in existence--instead of covering for me with all the idle chit chat.”

“Hey, my leg was hurting.”

“It’s not the leg that’s the issue--it’s the fact that you don’t have any regrets about this. At all.”

“Guilty as charged~”

Muffet giggled tiredly. “How did you two get hired?”

“Hey,” they both protested, and then pointed accusingly at one another, though they were grinning.

Grillby shook his head, his fire crackling in amusement. “She does have a point, I think.”

“Maybe they were just hired for the entertainment value,” Gerson put in. Everyone glanced to him oddly, and he shrugged with a smirk. “What? I’d hire them on that alone.” 

“Y’hear that?” Undyne called as she sauntered over to the group. “You two just got demoted to court jesters. With those stupid-looking hats with bells on em.”

“Only court jester here is the Rookie,” Jeremiah assured. 

“Oh, where did you get that brilliant idea?”

“From my marvelous mind?”

“Well,” Toriel emerged from the group of Humans, which had become much more sparse now as people started meandering their way towards the exit, and janitors emerged to begin cleaning up the place.

“Perhaps your ‘marvellous mind’ should be brought home. I think we’ve done all the good we can do, let us not linger around to cause more damage than we can fix, hmmm?”

“You’re telling me I have to get up?” he partially joked.

“That’s what you get,” Michael replied, and then looked around. “Now to just grab Leader…”

Gerson glanced around the room, while Rex stirred from where they had been resting on his lap. “And now to scour the area for wherever the Neck-Warmer hid themselves this time.”

“Yo, I’ll help,” Rex mumbled with a yawn. 

“Not to mention our Frisk...” Toriel murmured, casting a glance around. “Though I hope we do not end up… interrupting anything...”

“Did he find a girl here?” Undyne grinned widely. “Gotta hand it to the punk, he’s pretty dedicated on finding himself a girl!”

Rex slipped down from Gerson’s lap, already looking around. “Friiiiisk!” they called...nothing. “Yo, if you’re hiding again…” 

Grillby shook his head. “Should put trackers on more people,” he muttered. 

“Maybe Jacob will know?” Toriel suggested. “He usually leaves late from these meetings, perhaps he wanted to speak with your Leader about something? I have not seen him for a while either, so that could explain it.”

“Let’s hurry and find someone,” Muffet insisted. “We’ve been here long enough as is…”

“I’ll check outside,” Undyne called, already striding quickly towards the doors. “Maybe the punk’s hiding out there.”

The group dispersed, all searching for their missing people, but no matter who they asked or where they looked, no one had seen any sign of any of them in some time. 

“What the hell?” Undyne growled, searching through one of the hallways with Gerson and Rex, after a fruitless search of the outside of the building. She flung doors open, getting increasingly frustrated when she didn’t find anything. “I could see Frisk up and leaving, especially if he’s got a date, but…”

“What’s with Neck Warmer and William not showing up?” Gerson muttered, looking around. While Rex tapped their claws worriedly. 

“Yo...I don’t like this…”

“I don’t like it either. Something weird's going on here.” Undyne burst into the last room, and growled in frustration on it’s stubborn emptiness. “C’mon, let’s go back to the big room. Maybe Toriel’s got something.”

“Better than nothing, hopefully,” Gerson muttered, trekking after the younger Monsters. 

The three made their way back into the main meeting room, which was now all but empty, and quickly made their way up to where Toriel stood.

“Anything?” The boss Monster asked before they could.

“We were hoping you had something…” Gerson replied.

Michael and Jeremiah gave helpless shrugs, while Muffet pressed close to her husband, biting her lip worriedly. “Something’s wrong…” 

“We searched the whole place!” Undyne’s fists were clenched tight and her yellow eye narrowed in anger “What happened to them?”

“I do not know,” Toriel frowned in worry. “I called Asgore, he hasn’t heard anything from them, and they didn’t go back to the house. Do you have any idea of where your Leader could have gone?”

“Where would he go?” Michael protested. “He knows the place just as much as we do--which is basically not at all. He wouldn’t go far without us…He’s crazy, not dumb.” 

“I don’t know what happened,” Undyne growled, “But I intend to find out. I’m gonna head to the station, and put out a missing persons’ thing. I’m not gonna just sit on my hands when something happened to them.”

“Do you think… someone…” Toriel managed, fear flashing in her eyes.

“Nothing’s for sure yet,” Grillby replied. “Let’s move forward warily, but not get ahead of ourselves.” He spoke calmly, though he was just as concerned. 

“Asgore is on his way to pick us up, due to the rain,” Toriel murmured. “If they have not shown up by then…”

“Don’t worry Tori, I’ll make sure everyone knows about this,” Undyne promised. “We’ll find them as fast as we can.”

Gerson looked over. “If we head back quick, maybe we can call in our Napstablook. They’ve got a keen eye for things like this…” 

“Whatever you think will help,” Toriel agreed, a trace of agitation in her tone. “I need to know they’re safe.”

“Then let’s wait near the front,” Grillby called. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can start searching.”


	22. Luxury Deluxe Mark Three

The teen Frisk groaned against the concrete his face was pressed against. His head was pounding and his throat was dry. He swallowed a few times, but it didn’t help very much. 

Finally, he dared to open his eyes and slowly pushed himself up on his elbows. At least it wasn’t too bright in here.

“Damn,” he muttered to himself. “Did someone spike the punch?” His voice was slightly raspy and he frowned at that, trying to piece together what had happened from blurry memories.

He heard some quiet scuffling from behind him, as something else began to move--something bigger than him as a low moan sounded softly. 

Frisk blinked blearily, trying to make things click in his mind. Then he shook his head in an attempt to clear it and managed to pull his way up into a sitting position, then looked back to see what had made the noise.

The albino slowly sat up with a soft groan, a hand to his head, his eyes drastically dimmer when they opened. 

“William?” The boy mumbled, focusing on the man before him. “What’s… where are we?”

The albino looked at him wearily, taking a moment to register him. “...Frisk,” he slurred slowly, before looking around at the room, trying to find an answer to the boy’s question.

The teen looked around blearily at the concrete walls around them, cold, lifeless and grey. There was a metal door with a small barred window near the top, which was the only opening to the outside that he could see. There was a toilet in the far back corner opposite the door, and a large wooden board hanging by chains from the wall, that Frisk could only assume was supposed to be a bed. 

There was… something on the bed, lumped up under a thin blanket. 

“Please tell me this is the lead up to some really early surprise birthday party,” Frisk muttered to William.

“Doubted,” the red-eye muttered. “Ugh...what were we doing…?” He shook his head, gathering small memories, before jerking up in alarm. “Frisk!”

“I’m right here, you don’t have to shout,” the boy grumbled, wincing at the noise.

“Not you--” He stood, wobbling on shaky legs, before staggering over to the bed, drawing the thin blanket back, biting his lip as he found the limp form of his Ambassador. 

The teen blinked, looking over to where William had gone, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the horns. 

“Oh, crap, mini-me!” He got over to the bed as quick as he could, looking down at his counterpart in concern, reaching out for them and grasping a shoulder.

William started to scoop them up when they curled tightly, shuddering, before jerking up with a gasp, their eyes empty of color. 

“Mini-me? Are you okay?” the teen asked in concern, one hand quickly rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

They breathed harshly, and then felt around their head, and then their neck, before panicking further. “Tiara--where is it--where’s the gem?” The color began to show as their gaze darted around.

“I… I don’t see it,” their counterpart caught one of the little Frisk’s hands. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

The fusion’s breathing became even more erratic. “I don’t hear them--I don’t feel them--they’re gone--” 

William reached out, gently cupping their face, getting them to look at him. “Shh,” he soothed. “Breathe.” Frisk bit their lip, trying to steady it--but the moment they did, they broke down crying. The albino took them fully into his hold, putting a hand to his head as he tried to think. “...we’re drained,” he muttered. 

“Like… drained of magic?” Frisk asked in bewilderment. 

The human nodded. “If they don’t have the tiara, but can’t hear the souls--then that’s the only answer I can give…” 

“But… but how? There’s no one from my side who can do that!”

William shook his head, looking worriedly around, before moving toward the door that held the only window in the room. 

Frisk followed him, trying to peer through as well. All they could see through the small window was a hallway made out of the same lifeless concrete. The only distinguishing feature was a symbol emblazoned onto the opposing wall.

“Oh, come on!” Frisk cried out, recognising the red X through a circle. “Not these guys again!”

“These guys…?” William questioned, frowning at the unfamiliar symbol. “Who are they?” 

“Our anti-Monster group.” Frisk groaned. “They call themselves Overwatch. Last I heard of them, you know, when they captured me and experimented on me, they were trying to re-awaken magic in Humans. A real fun bunch.”

William gave a low growl. “Well, now I know why they took me, but...that doesn’t explain my Ambassador.” 

“How should I know? These guys are messed up.” Frisk slowly sat himself down on the ground. “I talked to Mom and Dad and… our Humans were never like yours. You guys all have magic, but we didn’t. It was like, there were some really powerful Humans that could use magic, but not all of them. The only thing was that we used to have really powerful souls. 

“Not that they’re about to listen. I wonder what they want this time.”

“If I can replenish my magic I could possibly get us out of here,” William muttered. “This doesn’t bode well all the same. They drained Human and Monster magic…” 

“See, that’s what I don’t get! How could they have possibly done that?” Frisk threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. “How could they drain your magic when they know nothing about it? It doesn’t make any sense!”

The albino shook his head, not having an answer. “When they come, get behind me. I might be able to manage something.” 

“That’d be nice.” Frisk looked around for a moment. ”Cause they’ve really knocked down the accommodations since last time. I got a nice bed in a mansion on the middle floor, some nice paintings to look at while they put needles in me.” He glanced over to the small toilet in the corner. 

“At least they improved the bathroom accommodations…”

“Even our Frisk had slightly better facilities than this,” he muttered as he continued petting the fusion’s back. 

“I mean, as evil maniac prisons go, this could be worse,” Frisk mused. “I’ll give it three stars, maybe four if the room service is good.”

“So long as room service doesn’t come with a side of crowbar…” 

“I dunno, crowbar might be useful right about now.” Frisk grinned. “You don’t think they serve anything too fatty do you? I’m kind of on a diet.”

“I just got off hospital food a few months ago, I’ll take it.”

Slowly, the fusion raised their head, having calmed down a little as they wiped away fluorescent tears. 

“No no, see, the proper pronunciation is hospital _cardboard_ ,” Frisk countered. “I’m like ninety-percent sure there’s no food involved in that stuff.” He grinned. “Thank god for healing magic!”

“I admit I’ve had better things…”

“It’s yucky,” the fusion stated simply.

“Maybe I’m a bit spoiled because my Mom’s had a thousand years to learn to cook things, but…” the teen shuddered. “Eeyuk.”

The youngest put their face back against William’s shoulder, while he shook his head. “And they’re supposed to make you better.” 

“I know right? I honestly don’t know how Humans survived for so long before Monsters came back.” The brown-eyed boy sighed and seated himself on the floor. “And this is how they show their gratitude…”

“Well,” William started. “They don’t want us dead yet--and if this is your group, well...I’m sure we’ll be found in due time.” 

“Yeah,” Frisk agreed, stretching in attempt to get rid of the stiffness in his limbs. “Last time it only took like, a day before I got found. And that place got totally torn apart. I don’t know what these guys are thinking, trying it again, but hey, if they want a beating so bad…” 

“If Humans don’t have magic here,” William muttered. “...I think even the Monsters from my side will be wiping the floor with them.” His face twitched into a smile, knowing how--at least with the child on the line--the Monsters would come crashing down on this place as soon as they were able. 

“Our souls are weaker too,” Frisk added helpfully. “I know my sister and Undyne can basically shatter a Human soul with a single attack. They just have to find us, and then everything will be fine.” He winked at the fusion. “So don’t be giving up hope yet alright? This is just gonna be a temporary setback.”

William gave a snort. “If that’s true, even Rex and Gerson will get their two cents in with this mess. See? Not so bad, little Ambassador.” 

There was the sound of heavy footfalls approaching down the hallway and the teen grinned.

“Ahh, that would be room service!” He rose to his feet. “Gimme a sec, I gotta complain about the accommodations. I’m pretty sure that we ordered the Luxury Deluxe Mark Three, and if this is that, then the commercial was _really_ misleading.”

William grabbed the boy’s shoulder, moving as he set the fusion down on the bed. “Stay behind me,” he muttered. “Rescue or not, we do have to hold out.”

“They captured us for a reason,” Frisk pointed out. “They’re not gonna shoot me on sight, especially if they still think I’m some kind of “precious commodity”

“That doesn’t stop them from hurting you,” William muttered. “They just need you alive.”

The footsteps finally reached the door, and a thin, almost ferret-like face appeared in the door's small window, dark stubble adorning his chin.

“Oh, there you are!” Frisk called, placing his hands on his hips and frowning as the man unlocked the door and began to open it. “Me and my friends have been waiting for you! This place is nothing like in the brochures! Where’s the TV? Where’s the nice beds? There’s only one pillow between us, and I don’t think it’s even been fluffed in twenty years!”

“Shut it,” the man growled, his voice deep and menacing. He’d opened the door, and was standing in the entryway, a pistol evident at his side. He was wearing dark grey coveralls, with the Overwatch symbol stitched into the shoulders. 

“And another thing,” The teen continued as two more men took positions in the hallway behind the first, watching the group with hostile expressions. Frisk took no notice of them, and gave the man a haughty glance up and down. 

“We specifically asked for the room service to be asian girls in french maid outfits! Not ugly plumbers with body odour! I demand to speak with your manager about- whoa!” 

The teen jumped back, barely avoiding the fist that had come flying at him from the Overwatch man. Their captor’s frown deepened. 

“I said, _shut it_.”

William side-stepped his way between them, knowing he could take a punch, one hand going onto the boy’s shoulder, nudging him further back. His red eyes held a dim spark, his magic desperately trying to rise, though he kept a calm exterior. 

“And your customer service is terrible!” Frisk cried as a last insult, before allowing himself to be pulled back. 

“Your jokes are not going to help you now,” the man growled, his glare focused on William. “You are here on _our_ terms, don’t forget that.”

“And what would those terms be?” William asked, each word delicately laid out, like a careful negotiation. 

“You are going to give us your magic,” the man thrust a finger towards William, the look on his face suggesting that he held the albino personally responsible for all his life’s grievances. “Then, we will regain the power that was stolen from us.”

“You only needed me for that,” the Leader replied. “The boy here doesn’t have magic to take.” His fingers twitched, but he didn’t move, knowing that there were enemies outside the door if he tried to do anything. 

“Not anymore, he doesn’t,” the man leered, revealing yellowed teeth. “But he will be the vessel. His body has already held magic and-”

“You guys are _seriously_ still on about that?” Frisk shook his head in exasperation. “It was never my magic to begin with!” 

“Let these two be,” William stated. “If you need Human magic--then you only had to take me. Every other Human here should be just as viable for the magic as anyone else if it’s compatible at all.” 

“You don’t seem to understand your position,” The Overwatch man smiled wickedly. “There will be no bargaining. We have already been shown the truth. All three of you hold the keys to our glorious salvation,” he stepped to the side, his eyes lighting up in dark glee. “And soon, you will see it too.”

“How do you suppose our Ambassador even has magic that you’d want?” William asked.

“Because I’ve taken it before,” a new voice murmured. William and the fusion froze, gazes going to the door as another man strode in. The little one’s eyes widened. That familiar face...the crimson orbs...but what stopped their thoughts were the ragged claw marks across his face. 

William gritted his teeth, slowly clenching his fists, while the youngest tried to wedge themself into a corner. 

“Uh, you know this guy?” the teen Frisk asked warily, looking from the fusion to the new man, noting, and not appreciating the crimson eyes.

“Just a business partner,” the marred one replied. 

“Figured you got out alive,” William muttered. “But how did you get on this side?”

“The gateway opened up near some of Reaper’s Harvest. We took advantage of it.”

William frowned in confusion, still not understanding the Rift all that well. 

“Hang, on!” Frisk protested. “How? The Rift’s been in the same place the whol-” He cut himself off, eyes widening in realization. “Aw, crap…”

The red eye smirked. “I don’t think it was,” he replied. “That thing was apparently hopping around several months back.”

The fusion swallowed nervously. When the rift vanished back then....

“Well, I guess that answers _that_ question,” the teen muttered to himself. Then he paused. “Wait… aren’t Reaper’s Harvest the ones that…”

“Seems we’re popular on this side too,” the battered one murmured with a smirk.

William’s eyes sparked--but the light was still dimmed...though he knew that now, it didn’t matter if his magic recharged. So long as the man before him was alert--he couldn’t do anything effective. “The Monsters found you before, they’ll do it again. And you’re living proof of what they’ll want to do.”

The man scowled, and then turned his gaze to the Ambassador, who scooted further into a corner, staring in fear. “Yes...you, child, weren’t able to see what your little protector did that night.” 

The teen Frisk moved to stand in front of his counterpart protectively. Even still, he let a grin split his features.

“Aww, did the big bad man get beaten by a little kid?” he asked condescendingly. “Would a cookie make you feel better?”

The next thing the teenager knew was that William quite literally materialized in front of him--taking a hit to his chest, before the fusion latched onto his arm, and Frisk started to see the grayness around them as the two red eyes glared at each other as William shakily kept his stance. “He’s a child--don’t tell me you’re going to let a little kid’s words get under your skin.”

William grunted as he was grabbed by his shirt collar and yanked forth. “I wouldn’t recommend playing ‘hero’ here, ‘Leader’.”

“Hey, I’m not a child!” Frisk protested. “And I’m very good at getting under people’s skin.”

“Enough of this,” the Overwatch man said, making a cutting gesture with his hand. “We have more important things to do than listen to your idiocy.”

“Indeed,” the scarred man replied, before jerking William toward the door. “Take him. I’ll follow shortly with the little one.”

“Don’t try anything,” the weasel-faced man warned, grabbing William and roughly dragging him out of the cell.

“Leave them out of this!” the teen Frisk cried, still attempting to shield the little one. “You already drained their magic, that must be enough to do whatever you’re planning!”

The man came forward, with the fusion clinging to the elder’s arm, though he easily grabbed them, and wrenched the two apart. The child shrieked, flailing in a panic.

“No!” Frisk cried, desperately trying to get the older man away from the fusion.

Perceptions changed, time altering in the chamber while the fusion gagged as he tugged on their scarf. He was choking them--! Desperate, they clawed at one of the knots, having it come undone--the fabric swiftly freeing itself from their throat. Instantly, they grabbed it, trying to reclaim it--but the moment they heard it start to tear, they dropped it like hot lead, and the man easily undid the other knot, taking it from them.

“You know what else is a damn shame, child? That your little protector didn’t follow you into that room.”

“You’re going to regret this!” the teen growled in anger, trying one last time to pull the red-eye away from his counterpart, straining against him with all his might. “My family will come for us! You won’t get away with this!” 

The man frowned, adjusting his hold on the fusion, before attempting to swipe the teenager away. Frisk could have dodged, but doing so would have left the fusion vulnerable, so he gritted his teeth and took the hit.

“Hah… is that all you got?” he managed through his tightly clenched jaw.

The fusion stared on in horror, numbly shaking their head as their mind slowly processed things--as their eyes were tracking the scarf that had been taken. They were weak again. Powerless…

And soon they’d be alone, they knew it would happen as the man applied more force to rid himself of the teenager.

The second blow earned a grunt of pain from the boy, but he held on with every ounce of Determination he still had. 

“Let. Them. Go!” he demanded.

“Unhand me, Boy,” the red-eye warned.

“Frisk,” the fusion whimpered. “Stop.” They shut their eyes, not wanting to watch--their will to fight having been crushed.

“You first,” the teen retorted, still trying to keep up his wit, despite the situation. The red eyes narrowed, and the man shoved full force to ram the teenager into the wall. 

The boy yelped, and his grip loosened. His head smacked into the concrete and his legs gave way beneath him. He slowly slumped to the floor.

The fusion shrieked at the sound, but the marred man ignored their cries as he effortlessly carried them out in one arm--and held the scarf in the other. 

The boy tried to get up, tried to go after them… but his legs refused to obey him. He was left alone in the cell, with nothing but a throbbing head and his tears.


	23. We Will Find Them

“So the building was here?” Neo asked, pointing to a spot on the map. “Hm...in that case, it would be best for Blooky and I to start there and work our way out in different directions.”

The ghost looked up. “I’m okay with...whatever you think we should do…” 

“At least William and your Frisk’s souls should stand out among our Humans...” Toriel said, her voice wavering slightly. She stood on the other side of the table, trying to keep her hands still.

“We can only hope that finding them will lead you to my son as well.”

Napstablook looked up. “I think that should be the case, Mrs. Toriel,” they murmured quietly. “Human souls are harder to tell apart, but... we’ll try our best, I promise.” 

“Thank you,” The former queen whispered, shutting her eyes for a moment in an effort to calm herself. “I cannot believe something like this happened, and so soon after Chara returned.”

Neo clenched his fists. “Blooky and I will do our best, I assure you.” 

“I have been on the phone all morning,” Toriel managed. “No one has heard anything. I.. I can’t believe they would have been gone this long. Something must have happened to them.”

“And we’ll find out what,” Napstablook quietly stated. 

“Blooky’s right,” Neo assured. “I know my cousin will look everywhere--quite literally--if it means finding them…” 

“Y’know,” came a voice from the direction of the living room, and Toriel jerked, looking over to see Sans leaning against the doorframe, the lights in his sockets flicking between the dining room’s occupants.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting a hero’s welcome,” the skeleton continued. “But I figured there’d at least be a few more smiles. What’s going on?”

“Oh...oh no, he doesn’t know yet…” Napstablook mumbled and started to vanish.

Neo looked over quietly. “I’m afraid there’s been an incident while you were away…” He sighed and stepped forth, not wanting Toriel to explain. “There was a meeting...both Frisks, and a Human from our side have gone missing…” 

Sans listened quietly as they explained the situation to him.

“It’s always something, isn’t it?” the skeleton muttered to himself, his hands sticking deeper into the pockets of his hoodie. “Alright, count me in. I’ll see what I can do to find them.”

He sighed. “I knew I should have come back faster.”

“Well, at least you came back in time to help,” the ghost mumbled. “We could use it…”

“The more the merrier, right?” Sans looked to Toriel. “You find out anything, let me know. Once we know where they are, I can have them out, no problem.”

Toriel nodded, wiping at her eyes. 

“Of course, thank you.”

The skeleton shook his head. 

“Don’t worry about it Tori. I just wish I’d been here to keep it from happening in the first place.”

“We’ll keep in touch,” Neo assured. 

Napstablook nodded, and floated up. “Um...if there’s anything else we need…?”

“I don’t think so,” Toriel replied slowly. “We don’t know enough to give you anything else but… if you find anything?”

“We’ll keep you posted Tori, don’t worry,” Sans promised.

The ghost nodded, and then started to drift out, with Neo swiftly following. Sans had already vanished.

“Oh… ummm… am I interrupting something?”

The native Napstablook appeared at the doorway to the entryway, slightly faded as he peered into the room.

The other paused. “Oh, oh no, not really...we were just about to leave…” 

Toriel gave Kid’s dad a questioning look, and he faded a little more.

“Ohhh, I was just thinking, um… I’m pretty good at sensing magic… I might be able to help find the little Frisk… oh no… I probably wouldn't be very helpful… oh no….”

Neo’s eyes lit up. “Nonsense--if the same goes for this world, you would be on the same level as my Blooky for detecting them--and the more the merrier right now--this is a big city after all.” 

“Any help you can give will be appreciated,” Toriel added. 

“Oh… okay, I… I’ll try my best.” The ghost reformed himself, giving a little nod to indicate his readiness.

“Well, Blooky and I were going to branch from North to South from the incident…”

The visiting ghost rose up. “But this way, the two of us can look for signatures, and you can try to search with your tracker...if it can work here…”

“I have made improvements,” the robot assured. 

“Then...if I handle the North…” They looked to their counterpart. “Would you be okay with the South? Oh...oh no, I should let you pick…” 

“Oh… it’s fine,” the native ghost assured. “I don’t mind. Wherever you think I’d be the most useful…”

“Well...I think we have equal abilities…?” Napstablook mumbled. “So, either way…”

Neo chortled. “Blooky number one, go North.”

“...okay.” 

\---

“Well, I hope you two found something,” Neo stated that evening. “Nothing showed up on my scanner…”

“No…” his own cousin mumbled. “Our Frisk and William would stand out a lot in this world, but...I didn’t find anything.” 

“Oh no… I… I didn’t get anything either.” The native ghost lowered himself slightly. “I’m sorry…”

Toriel sat in her reading chair, her fists clenched and her eyes watering. 

“No one has found anything,” she managed. “What if they’re not in the city anymore?” She rose and began pacing erratically, paws sinking into carpet. 

“They could be anywhere! There’s a whole nation… a whole world! What if they were taken far away? What if-” she choked. “What if it’s already too late?”

The visiting ghost flew over to her. “We can’t think like that,” they insisted to her. “But...I...I know it’s not easy--and...um...I think--they’re still alive.”

“You can’t know that,” Toriel whispered brokenly, her eyes closing and a few tears escaping to trickle down the side of her face. 

“No, I don’t…” Napstablook mumbled. “But as it stands--they can still be alive. I rather believe that.” 

The Boss Monster took a few deep, shuddering breaths before slowly retaking her seat.

“You’re right… of course you’re right,” she mumbled. “I just… I don’t know if I can go through this again.”

“We know it’s hard--it’s really hard,” Napstablook stated. “We’ve all been here before, but we can do it. We’ll find them, I promise.” 

There was the clicking sound of a door opening and closing, then a deep sigh before Asgore appeared in the room, rubbing the space between his horns wearily. He looked up to see the others.

“I don’t suppose…” he began.

Neo shook his head slowly. “I’m afraid not.” 

Asgore nodded sadly. 

“I was afraid of that. The good news is that we have everything available looking for him. The Canine unit is following some leads and Met… our Mettaton, is preparing a broadcast to make sure everyone knows about this. He’s also agreed to meet with some important people to see if he can find anything out about why they disappeared.”

Asgore made his way over to his wife, kneeling down beside her and gently resting a hand on her shoulder. 

“We are moving with everything we have, and we have been working all day on making sure we can find them.” he assured. “In the morning, I will make some more phone calls. I would do them now, but… it is late.”

The visiting Napstablook looked up. “I don’t need to sleep...I can keep going for now.”

“Blooky, I don’t like when you go alone…”

“I’ll be fine,” the ghost assured. “These Humans can’t hurt me--and I’ll stay above them.”

“Oh, and I can go with them,” the native ghost murmured, rising up. “I’ll just get something to eat first…”

Neo nodded. “I need a recharge, but after that, I can get back to work.” 

“You see, Tori?” Asgore took his wife’s hand and squeezed it. “We will find them. They will be okay.”

\----

Frisk didn’t know how long it had been since the other two had been taken away. Twice, food had been shoved through a metal hatch in the bottom of the door, as well as a bottle of water. He didn’t care about the food, but he ate it, mostly because there wasn’t anything else to do. 

It was dry, bland and colourless, and he still wasn’t sure what exactly it was supposed to be. Not incredibly filling either. It was clear that his well-being was not the primary concern here.

He stretched his neck absently, trying to crack it to no avail. He knew he shouldn’t have fallen asleep against the wall, his entire body felt stiff as a board afterwards.

Footsteps caught his attention, and he saw shadows by the slot under the door. It opened, and almost in the same instant, the albino was shoved through, hitting the ground roughly as the door slammed and bolted shut. The footsteps swiftly left, before William dared to let loose a soft groan, struggling to get up. 

“William!” Frisk tried to stand, but didn’t quite make it, and elected to crawl on hands and knees towards the man.

“Are you alright? Where’s Mini-me?”

The man shook his head, opening his eyes. They were so desaturated that it was hard to tell that they were red at all. “Fine…” he managed. “...they have more magic though...they’ll be kept...longer…” 

“Damn it…” Frisk slowly sunk back down to the floor, his cheek resting on cold cement. “I do not want to know what they’re gonna do with all that magic, do I?”

“Last time...it was to study it so that they could drain the Monsters--really I think they’re doing it to keep the souls under--but they can do that by turning that tiara into a blasted collar like they did before.”

“If your guys are merged with Overwatch,” Frisk groaned into the floor. “They’re probably gonna want the same thing. Which is not good news for me…”

“It doesn’t bode well for either of us. I’m told you saw what happened to the others due to that weapon.” 

“The… draining.” Frisk nodded. “That would be bad.... That’s not what I’m worried about right now though.”

“What’s the other thing we need to be worried about?” William managed as he sat up. “Don’t know much about your side to begin with…” 

“Last time Overwatch captured me… they were trying to find out how to reawaken magic in Humans through me. It failed, because we don’t _have_ magic anymore.

“But anyways... they don’t need me for magic draining. Even if they still think I have some locked away somewhere.” He raised his head, bleary eyes meeting the albino’s. “Where do you think that magic is going first?”

William shut his eyes, clenched his fists as he avoided cursing in front of the boy. “Peachy…” He needed to figure out how to get out of here with the children--or this wouldn’t end well at all. 

“And if it works…” Frisk continued, letting his forehead clunk back to the ground. “Then we have a bunch of psychos with magic under Overwatch and… Reaper’s Harvest. Good times all around, right?”

“It’s bad enough they’ve got a red eye on their side,” William growled. “I’m not even sure how the Monsters really bested him…aside from Rex leaving a calling card.” 

“Beats me. Remind me though, what is it that red eyes do exactly?”

“Time manipulation,” William explained. “We can make time bubbles to halt time, manipulate it to go slower or faster--the most determined can reset...Frisk eventually overpowered me in that regard, but...red eyes cannot be harmed by another red eye’s magic. Meaning I can’t freeze him, and vice versa.” 

Frisk gave a hoarse laugh, reaching up a hand to rub at the blood clotted at the back of his head from when he had hit the wall.

“We have someone who can stop time here too. When he finds us…” the boy smiled grimly. “Someone’s gonna have a bad time.”

“Hopefully he’s immune,” William muttered, before he narrowed his dim eyes. “You’re hurt.” 

Frisk shrugged. 

“Tried to stop the guy from taking Mini-me… didn’t work out as planned.”

The man shook his head. “Let me have a look,” he insisted as he dragged himself closer.

“Knock yourself out…” 

For a while, the albino tended to the wound the best he could, and time continued to drag on--until they heard footsteps. William turned, ready to shelter the boy. It opened, and a blue-eye entered, with Frisk burying their face into his chest. The man looked to them, and then knelt slowly, setting the fusion on their feet, before the child ducked their head, their eyes shut tight.

“Mini-me!” the teen went for the child as quickly as he could, keeping a wary eye on the blue-eyed man.

The other man looked up quietly--but made no move--other than to close the door so that he could lean against it. The fusion jerked their head, taking a shaky step toward him, unable to see him. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” the elder Frisk soothed, pulling the child towards him. “I gotcha now.” He looked up at the man, his brown eyes flashing in anger. 

“You freaks get some kind of perverted kicks out of this?” he demanded. 

“No,” the little one whimpered. “Blue’s nice.”

The man folded his arms, but didn’t say anything in his defense. 

“Yeah, sure,” the boy muttered. He turned his attention back to the fusion. “How do you feel?”

“Tired…”

“Try keeping them off their feet,” the blue eye advised quietly while William stood shakily, looking the man up and down.

“I see you’re the one Frisk met last time.”

“What of it?”

“They spoke highly of you.”

There was a huff. “Your Ambassador is easy to impress.” 

The teen ignored the two men and gently led the little one over to the “bed” and helped them onto it.

“Here, you should lie down,” he said quietly. “Get some rest, at least it’s over now, right?”

The little Frisk just let out a soft sound, shoving their hands into the hoodie pockets as their palms stung. 

“Anything I should know?” William question

“They’re not going to see much for a while,” the blue eye muttered. “Would have used the scarf to cover their eyes, but…” 

“But evil mega-organization,” the brown-eyed Frisk almost growled, looking up. “Yeah, we get it.”

“I can’t use what isn’t there--and if I give you bandages, I’ll look suspicious--and then I can’t help at all. Look--kid’s eyes need to be covered. I recommend using a hoodie sleeve if you can. The last thing they need is an infection that makes them go blind.” 

“Well, looks like _someone’s_ passing up employee of the month,” the boy grumbled. “Don’t suppose you could push it further and give us directions to a secret passage out of here? Or at least something I can tear a sleeve off with?”

“Bring the hoodie to me,” the man stated quietly.

The fusion was silent, and reluctantly slipped it off. “It’s been through worse,” they mumbled, holding it out so that their hands were under the fabric. 

“No!” the teen grabbed his little counterpart’s shoulder and pulled them back gently. “No, no more sacrifices from you.” He quickly pulled his own shirt off and tossed it to the blue-eye.

“There, use that instead. I got a million of em anyways. Just give it back when you’re done, or I’ll be able to overcome all your women with my sheer manliness.” He grinned suddenly. “On second, thought, maybe you should keep it.”

“Oh trust me, you’ll want it back,” the blue eye muttered, pulling out a pocket knife and flicking it open, swiftly cutting a sleeve off it, before expertly slipping the tool away. “Here. Shirt and makeshift bandage.” 

“There we go.” The elder Frisk pulled his shirt on, then knelt beside his counterpart and gently tied the sleeve over their eyes. “Hold still…”

The fusion gave a soft grunt, but was motionless, waiting for it to be secured as they mumbled quiet thankyous. 

The teen finished his work and sighed. 

“Now, here, lie down on the bed. It’s not much but... it’s better than the floor.”

They turned away--touching the sleeve gently once they knew he couldn’t see their hand, and then awkwardly laid down, trying to avoid hurting their body where the shots had taken place. 

It was then that William strode over, grabbing the fusion’s wrist gently, and tsking softly. “Here…” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and then tied it around their hand so that the absence of a palm was covered. “Now if I just had another--”

He jumped as the blue eye came up behind them. “This should be enough,” he started, dropping another piece of cloth for them. “They won’t notice that.”

“...thank you.”

The teen Frisk had noticed the hole in the palm, and his fists clenched in anger. At the quiet “thank you” he turned to his little counterpart in disbelief.

“Thank you?” he asked incredulously. “After what they did to you?” He came over and grabbed at his counterpart’s hand, though he made sure not to press into the hole, or touch it at all. 

“What the hell is the point of _that_ , huh?” he demanded to Blue, pointing to the centre of the child’s palm. “What benefit could you get out of doing that?!”

Blue raised his hands. “That--”

“Was always like that,” William and the fusion cut in, with the little one jerking their head up, wanting to grab him, but knowing it would hurt.

The teen stopped and looked to the little Frisk.

“Huh?”

“It’s…” The fusion took a moment to carefully reply. “...part of the fusion,” they admitted. “That’s why I always wore Pap’s scarf the way I did…”

William nodded. “They did that even when I met them, long before Reaper’s Harvest came into play.”

The Human Frisk deflated a bit at that, though he still glared at Blue.

“I still hate you all,” he informed the agent.

“Go ahead,” Blue replied. “But, seeing as I’m not welcomed, I’ll take my leave.” 

The blue eye started to retreat. “Blue…” the little Frisk called. 

“Hm?”

“I think...I know what you mean now--about your life and this group.”

“...damn shame if you do.”

“...they brought you back? Didn’t they? You died…”

There was an empty smile. “Yep. Put me in a corpse and brought me back.” He opened the door. “Honestly--wished I stayed dead at this point.” 

“Wait, what?” The brown-eyed Frisk looked to the retreating man in shock. He tried to say more, but he was too stunned, and the words would not come.

“Part of the Reaper’s Harvest, Boy,” the blue-eyed muttered. “Like it or not...try to stay alive.” With that, the door closed--and he was gone. 

“This is a thing where you come from?” the boy demanded, looking to William. “People being brought back from the dead?”

“While possible in theory--not like this,” William muttered. “Reaper’s Harvest has inhumane methods for treatment of the deceased souls. That man is part of their twisted work. He’s shoved into a body that isn’t his, and if he steps wrong...” 

“Blue’s nice,” the fusion mumbled, clenching their fists. “The others are all meanies.” 

“Son of a _bitch_ ,” the teen swore, moving his back to the wall and sliding down it until he could slump against the floor. “Don’t take this the wrong way guys, but between them and the Beasts, I’m really glad I live on this side.”

“Don’t blame you,” the fusion replied--their voice muffled by the poor excuse for a pillow.


	24. Billy

Undyne sat at her desk, scanning over the various papers strewn across it, her good eye narrowing in mounting frustration.

“Nothing… nothing… useless… _worthless_ … **stupid!** Ngaaaah!”

She roared in anger and stood, impulsively flipping the table so hard that it flew across the room. It smashed against the wall and landed on its side, scattering papers, books and even the phone across the floor.

There was a quiet tapping as her door opened just enough for orange eyes to peer in. “Um…” Michael started. “Is now a good time, or should I come back later?” There was a slight joking tone, but it lacked Micheal’s usual energy.

“That depends,” Undyne growled, her hands reflexively clenching and unclenching. “Any leads?”

“Sort of,” Michael replied. “Mettaton’s picked up the tracker on our Frisk’s cloak--though after what happened the last time one Monster went by themselves to see the location, we ended up with a blind Monster for a while. So...he figured the two of us could safely get it?”

Undyne stiffened. 

“Then what the hell are we waiting for?” she demanded. “Let’s go!”

He gave a curt nod. “You know the area best, soooo…” He pulled something out. “He provided a map and circled the area where he was detecting it.” 

“Good!” She pushed past the Human, and began jogging through the clean, white police station, officers and clerks looking up as she went past. “I’ll drive, you figure out navigation! Tell me what area of the city he found it, I’ll have the whole place blocked off!”

He raced after her. “Hopefully there’s something attached to the cloak this time!”

Undyne burst out of the building and onto the sidewalk, making a beeline for her car. 

“Hurry up!” she called, already inside and starting the vehicle.

Michael was swift, in the car only a few moments later, slamming the door--and then hastily getting a seatbelt on as the fish was already on the move. “Hey--not from around here--” 

“You gotta map, don’t you?” Undyne questioned, a little harsher than necessary. “Tell me where the thing is, and I’ll take it from there.”

_But it helps to know where ANYTHING on this map is!_

“What street was it on?” Undyne asked, slamming into gear and speeding down the road, lights flashing and siren wailing. “Or nearby at least?”

“Um...somewhere between Mulberry RD and...215th?” Michael frowned. “Who names these things!?” Despite his dislike for the vehicle, he didn’t seem too phased about the movement once she got going. 

“Huh… that’s a buisness district,” Undyne muttered, focusing on the road ahead. “Couplea hotels around there too.” she let go of the wheel with one hand, and reached up to grab a speaking device attached to a wire on the top of her car, pulling it down so it was level with her mouth.

“Come in, HQ? Yeah, we’ve got a possible lead on the missing persons case, I want four squad cars at Kellikoff’s district five minutes ago. And get 01 and 02 to get me search warrants, I want one for every single building in that district before I get there.” She smiled. “Good luck.”

She flicked a switch on its side and clipped it back up onto the ceiling.

Michael found a way to keep himself steady. “Are they going to actually be that fast?” 

“01 and 02 are the best in the force,” Undyne promised. “Trust me, they’ve had a lot of practice with making me warrants on the fly.”

“Works for me,” Michael managed--hoping that the ride was short so he could get out. 

“You alright?” Undyne asked, casting a quick glance at him before swerving through a yellow light and speeding down another road.

“Not a fan of tight spaces,” the man muttered. “I’ll live.” 

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination, and Undyne parked the car on the side of the road and swiftly tore herself out of the seat.

“Alright, so how specific did Neo get? Do we know exactly where the tracker is, or are we gonna have to search?”

Michael had already flung himself out of the vehicle, and took a look at the map. “The tracker was never meant to be used like this--and while he made improvements to it--it still needed work, so…” He pointed at the red circle on the map. “Somewhere in here was the best he could get.”

“Never easy, is it?” Undyne muttered. “Alright, let’s get moving.”

They scoured what areas they could that didn’t need a warrant--and by the point they finished those, they had the papers. They searched everywhere, looking for a cloak--though eventually, Michael called Neo just to figure out what the tracker looked like--just in case. 

They were looking through buildings top to bottom, until eventually, they were heading into the basement of a hotel, and Michael halted where the light decided to stop. 

“This had better be good,” Undyne growled, continuing down the stairs and into the darkness. “Dammit, where the hell’s the lightswitch for this place?”

Michael groaned softly. “I’ve got a flashlight if we’re desperate…” He still didn’t look keen on going down in there. 

“Good, bring that out, we should be able to find one quick. C’mon Michael, we don’t have all day.”

The Human chewed his lip nervously, took a shaky breath, and then pulled it out, turning it on as he followed her, muttering softly as he clenched one hand tight. 

“Check the walls once you come down here,” Undyne called from below. “It should be close by the stairs. And if not, I’m gonna have a talk with management here about it.”

“Talk to them now--is there a crime against light switches being in the stairwell?” he demanded as he came down into the basement, digging his nails into his palm as he swept the light along the walls, begging for a lightswitch that worked. 

Thankfully, he was quickly able to find one, and flicked it on. Unfortunately, the bulbs in this room were old, their light was dim and they flickered almost constantly, as if there was a family of moths inside each bulb.

“Great,” Unydne muttered, looking around the now-exposed basement, which seemed to have been set up as one large boiler room. “Let's get through here and move on to the next one, okay?

“The sooner we leave, the better,” Michael moaned as they spread out, searching around for it. Michael kept it so that there was a clear path to the stairwell as he searched, rummaging through items, and peering in small areas for the tracker.

They spent some time searching, but just before they called it quits, Michael heard Undyne swearing loudly from the other side of the room.

He swallowed and stood. “Um…?” he called, trying to see what was going on without venturing further in. He could see the fish woman pulling out her walkie-talkie, and she began to yell into it.

“Dispatch! You have five minutes to get me every available officer and detective we have! We’re at the Ramonda hotel! NOW!!”

Realizing she had found something, he hurried forth, despite his hatred for the dark and confined basement. “Undyne?”

She turned to face him, a fire lit in her good eye as she held up the familiar cloak the fusion had worn.

Michael’s eyes sparked and then narrowed. “Dammit,” he muttered. He looked up to her. “Got a dog monster?” he asked. “Dogamy’s pack is good at figuring out scents…” 

“I’m calling in Dogaressa’s Unit now,” Undyne replied, putting down the radio and pulling out her phone. “If nothing else, they _were_ here. I refuse to accept we came all this way for nothing!”

Michael pulled his cap off his head, clenching it tight, his eyes narrowed as he made his way back to the stairwell. Something was rubbing him the wrong way about all of this…

 

Undyne was already on the phone, barely managing to keep her voice in check as she came up behind Michael. The Human was almost surprised she wasn’t putting holes in the floor with how loud her angry stomping was.

He headed back up onto the landing, where he finally relaxed a little--though now he was wary of the angry fish Monster coming up behind him…

\---

The teen Frisk sat on the floor, his back pressed against the cold concrete wall.

“Y’know, it’s like they don’t even want us to know how long has passed while we’re in here.” He glanced over at William. “I don’t suppose you saw any clocks when you were out there, did ya?”

The albino shook his head with dim eyes. “Wouldn’t have done much anyways. The best we would have figured was that it was either day or night.” 

The fusion turned their head, ear fins twitching as they listened in on the conversation. 

“How long have we been in here, do you figure?” the boy asked, rubbing absently at the back of his head.

“At most?” William muttered. “A few days if we use the meals as a guide.” 

“Oh, meals? Is that what they were supposed to be?” Frisk’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “I figured they just didn’t feel like taking the recycling out and left it with us instead.”

“Could be the scraps that the pigs didn’t want,” the fusion mumbled, their head low as a hand fiddled with the makeshift bandage. 

The Human Frisk snorted.

“Seems to be an excess of those these days anyways, right?” He chuckled to himself, then called to William;

“Hey Billy… can I call you Billy?”

William raised a brow. “Billy?” he asked with a tad of skepticism. 

“I think it suits you.” The teen grinned. “All rise for great Leader Billy!”

“Where do you get Billy?” the fusion asked in confusion. “...Willy makes more sense.”

“Don’t go giving out ideas…” the Human Leader muttered

“William is the original version of the name, right?” the boy started. “Then they shortened it to Will. Then someone swapped out the W for a B, so then we have Bill. Which becomes Billy, which becomes our illustrious leader here.” Frisk shrugged.

“Languages are weird, but there you go. Bill came from William, and Mr. Leader here shall now be forever known as Billy.”

The fusion shrugged. “William makes sense.” 

“Maybe so,” their counterpart acknowledged. “But Billy amuses me, so…”

William gave him a look. “You’re changing the name on a whim?”

“Well, I am a prince you know.” the teen raised his head haughtily, looking down his nose at William. “I can do as I please.”

The albino turned, a spark attempting to appear in his desaturated eyes. “Is that so? I believe I have to question your parents about this monarchy you have.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry your head about it,” Frisk waved a hand, enhancing his mock haughtiness with an exaggerated British accent. “It’s a _very_ complicated and convoluted thing, far too difficult for _outsiders_ to understand.”

“...why is he talking funny?” the fusion asked...though there was a faint smile starting to show on their features.

“It’s a secret royal dialect passed down from generations, don’tcha know?” the teen tut-tutted, shaking his head. “Honestly, don’t they teach _anything_ in schools these days?”

“Don’t think I’ve ever heard a dialect like that,” William murmured. 

“No?” Frisk asked in surprise, not realizing he’d dropped the accent. “I mean, it wasn’t the best impression, but… Britain? England? Any of that ringing a bell?”

“What are those?” the fusion asked--turning to where they last heard William.

“Never heard of them,” was William’s reply. 

“It’s… it’s a country,” the brown-eyed Frisk managed in bewilderment. “Island nation? Used to be an empire that ruled most of the planet? Technically the founder of the country we’re in right now? Is this not a thing on your side?”

William shook his head. “Hardly. I mean--I don’t travel much unless it’s politically related--but I had to read government history while growing up. I think I’d remember that.” 

“I’m confused…” the fusion complained--barely understanding how the city worked--let alone the rest of the world’s government. 

“Huh…” Frisk muttered, leaning his head back against the wall. 

“I wonder exactly how different our sides are really…”

“Guess we’ll have to sacrifice people to the history books,” William replied while the fusion flopped onto their side. 

“I’m sure some people will be able to manage…” the teen muttered. 

“Well, I have a list of people who can suffer through that,” William muttered.

The little Frisk looked up. “...sounds too nice.”

William smirked. “A bit of the others still echo in you these days, don’t they? Can’t be helped.”

There was the thudding of footsteps, then the door swung open, revealing three large men with the Overwatch sigil on their shoulders.

“Alright, boy,” the first one growled in delight, his eyes focused on the teen Frisk. “It’s your time now.”

The fusion sat upright, clenching the side of their bed, while William rose fully, despite knowing he didn’t stand a chance. 

The teen noticed, and got up as quick as he could.

“Hey now, don't be jealous,” he chided. “I haven’t gotten to leave this room yet, it’s my turn now. You guys can all wait for your own, got it?”

“Frisk,” William managed through clenched teeth, while the other tucked themselves up and covered their ears, knowing that this would end badly no matter how smoothly it went. 

The teen waved him off with a smile, going to the men standing in the doorway.

“Relax, I’ll be fine. I’m not scared of needles.”

The men chuckled darkly and moved out of the way to allow the teen passage. He stopped before he got to the door and turned to look at his cellmates, giving them a big wink. 

“Don’t worry guys, it’ll be fine. Save some cardboard for me, okay?”

William huffed. “Take our compliments to the chef if you’re leaving in this manner.” His words were quiet, the amusement not managing to get in. 

“As you wish!”

“Get moving,” the forefront guard snarled, grabbing the teen by the arm and yanking him out before the boy had a chance to protest. Another guard shut the metal door with a clang, and a few moments later, there was silence.

William lowered his gaze, clenching his fist--turning as the little fusion shuddered. Quietly, he went over, and picked them up, sitting down with them in his lap to offer them some form of comfort as they curled up.


	25. Determination

Asgore put down the phone with a weary sigh and slumped on the couch, absently rubbing at the hair in between his horns.

"Another dead end…" He looked longingly at the stairs where Toriel had disappeared to spend some time with Rias and Chara. It had been at his insistence, but he wished he could be up there with them.

Dogamy looked up, diverting his attention from Jeremiah, who was on a cell phone. The canine's head drooped, a sound of concern coming from him. After a long day out in the city, he had nothing to show but sore paws and the longing to clear his scent memory of the things he _had_ found.

"Well, keep looking," Jeremiah muttered. "Not much else you can do there...yeah, I'll call if anything comes up…" The yellow eye lowered the phone, and shook his head.

"Almost a week, and still… nothing," Asgore sighed, sinking back into the couch. "We are going to have to expand our search at this rate."

"I could bring in more guards from my side," Dogamy offered. "Maybe see if Doggo can't pitch in. Can't see to save his life-but he has a good nose."

"We'd bring in help as well," Jeremiah started. "But Michael's already on top of our only lead, and we Humans can't track as well."

"That may become necessary," Asgore acknowledged. "Mettaton's broadcast goes out tomorrow, with luck, it will inspire more people to aid in the search. But I am beginning to fear that they are not in the city."

Dogamy nodded. "At the moment, our best bets are that lead, and Napstablook seeing their souls…"

There was the sound of a dainty knock at the door, and Asgore swiftly rose.

"I will get it," he said, hurrying out of the room.

Jeremiah looked up, drawing a hand over his face. "This doesn't make any sense," he groaned.

Dogamy nodded. "Seems familiar, doesn't it?"

A few moments later, Asgore returned to the living room, closely followed by Muffet, wearing a deep purple blouse and white gloves on each hand.

The spider-woman blinked her eyes in lazy synchronization at the sight of the Human, then giggled daintily.

"And I thought Mettaton was having me on when he told me about magical Humans…"

Jeremiah blinked in brief confusion at the spider. They looked a lot alike, but he was noticing differences-and thankfully, had Dogamy filled him in on this aspect. "Not quite," Jeremiah replied, sitting up fully, while the dog dipped his head.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Muffet."

The spider's smile faltered.

"I am afraid that 'good' is not the best description."

"Please, take a seat," Asgore murmured, though the hopeful light that had sparked in his eyes dimmed quickly. The spider did as she was bid, settling herself in Toriel's reading chair, which was obviously far too big for her, while Asgore returned to the couch.

"I have an army of spiders at my command," Muffet began, clasping her bottommost hands together, while her other two pairs rested on the armrests. "We can get to places others cannot go, see things others never can. Both my own spider clans, and the ones of the surface world have been scouring the city…" she shook her head slowly. "We have found nothing."

Jeremiah clasped his hands together, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Michael isn't going to find anything either by the sound of that." He looked up. "How far could anyone get in a week's time while hiding three people that would stand out in a crowd?"

"It depends on who took them," Asgore replied. "There is an airport in this very city, and more in the surrounding ones. If it were someone with means… or someone from the meeting, they could easily have been put on a plane and be anywhere in the world by now."

"Gotta be fancy government people then," Jeremiah muttered.

Dogamy tilted his head. "Those...other flying machines of yours?"

"Pretty much-they're rarely in operation…" The yellow-eye was thinking swiftly, trying to figure out how to make their next move.

"Yes, I doubt they would have been able to hide them on a public plane. It would have needed to be a privately owned one," Asgore agreed. "At this point, we cannot rule out the possibility."

"I have my spiders beginning to search beyond the city limits," Muffet put in. "We will go as far as we can, but there is only so far we can spread. Unless I bring some to other continents… and even then, there are places we cannot go."

Jeremiah perked. "Public planes?" He shook his head in confusion. "Nevermind, just…" He began tapping his good leg as he thought.

Dogamy breathed out. "I think I want to go see that building where they disappeared again. Just…" His fur bristled. "There's something wrong."

The Human shook his head. "I'll call Napstablook-let them know the city's a dead end so they aren't out there all day." At this rate, Jeremiah felt he'd have to learn more of how this world worked.

"We had best make sure we can get support in searching beyond the boundaries of this city," Asgore rumbled. "Monsters have been spreading out over the years, but the majority of our clout remains here. We will have to hope Mettaton is convincing enough to get us the support we need."

"He is good at swaying opinion in his favour," Muffet murmured fondly.

"I have my confidence in that plan," Dogamy assured as he rose. "But we shall keep to our searching."

"Good." Asgore rose as well. "If they have left the city, we must find a way to narrow down where they could have gone. By now, they could be anywhere."

Jeremiah watched the Monsters and then pulled out his cell phone. "Good luck with your plans." The best he could do was call others and work from one location...a fact that was starting to bother him again.

"Then I shall take my leave," Muffet stood up with a sigh. "I will let you know if I find anything."

"Thank you." Asgore attempted a smile. "We appreciate everything you are doing."

Muffet inclined her head, giving no reply, and made her way to the door.

 

William's eyes opened to the sound of footsteps. He groaned softly to himself, and drew his arms firmly around Frisk. They stirred, and then grasped onto an arm as he focused on those who were approaching. His magic tried to ignite-but to no avail.

There was the sound of a lock clicking, then the door swung open and the teenaged Frisk was tossed unceremoniously inside, landing on the concrete with a grunt and a thud. The guard behind him leered down at the boy.

"Get some rest with your little friends, _prince_. There's more where that came from tomorrow."

The boy had kept his face down so the other's couldn't see it, but he managed to call out;

"Worst… room service… ever!" His voice was tired and raspy, and the guard just chuckled in amusement at his defiance before shutting the door with a clang.

William was up in an instant, setting the fusion back on the bed, before rushing for the boy, dropping to his knees, looking for any obvious injuries. "Frisk-" he hissed, one hand clenching tightly in anger.

The boy attempted to raise his head, but it barely got an inch off the ground before it clunked back down. He hissed softly in pain, then turned his head slightly so that he could look at William without raising it.

One eye was blackened and swollen. There were a few light cuts across his face and blood trailed down from his mouth to his chin. He managed a bloody grin.

"Hey, Billy…"

"Gods-"

The little fusion slipped off the bed. "...is he?"

"Here, boy, let's see if I can't get you onto the bed. See if I can't do something." However, he doubted it. He was no healer-the best he could do was possibly clean the cuts.

"Sure… 'm afraid I can't really move myself though, so…"

"What's the least sore?" The fusion whined in concern-unable to see, and thus was imagining the worst.

"Uhhh…" the boy scrunched up his face in thought. "My left pinky toe seems to be doing okay…" he replied at last.

"Could be better…" William muttered. "Well if I can't move you in one piece, tell me. I'll try to be careful. I rather you on the bed than the floor. Little One, scoot to the other corner."

"At least let me buy you dinner before you take me to bed…" Frisk mumbled. His body felt unusually limp, like a rag doll. It was evident the boy really wasn't going to be able to help William in his effort to get him onto the bed.

"Sorry," William muttered. "But the menu choices are lousy. We'd have better luck ordering off the menu."

"Heh heh…" Frisk started coughing violently suddenly, flecks of blood flying from his lips at the harsh, ragged sounds.

"Kid-!"

Frisk's coughing fit continued as William laid him down on the bed. it wasn't until a few agonizingly long minutes later when it finally died down.

"Nah," he wheezed, somehow managing a cheeky grin. "Kid doesn't have any arms."

William drew a hand over his face, and shook his head. "Unbelievable…" The albino looked around, and spotted an almost empty water bottle. He took it and then went back to the fusion. "I need to borrow a handkerchief, all right?" The fusion bobbed their head, allowing him to remove it-exposing their palm.

The adult drew back over, dampening it, and tending to the obvious scratches. His eyes dimly sparked in anger-his limited magic trying to come forth...but there wasn't enough to give them a chance to escape.

The teen laid still as William tried to clean out the obvious wound. His exposed arm, the one that he had torn the sleeve off for his counterpart, was covered in bandages. The rest of his shirt didn't seem to be faring well either, it was mussed, scrunched and bloodstained.

"Well," the boy began after a few moments. "I've got some good news… and I've got some bad news."

"And...what's the bad news?" William asked as the fusion crept toward their voices.

"Good news first?" Frisk asked, lolling his head slightly to better look at the Human leader. "Yes sir, Mr. Leader sir." Crimson eyes gave him a very dead pan look.

"The good news," the boy continued after a moment. "Is that I… apparently have magic now." William paused, studying the child quietly as he chewed his lip nervously, while the fusion whined in concern, fumbling around at the edge of the bed.

"Took a lot of tests... " the teen murmured. "But I got to use it a bit… which was kinda cool. Didn't really know what I was doing though. They seemed pretty excited about it."

He fell into another fit of coughing, his limbs spasming out of control at the harshness of his exhalations.

"Dammit-easy, now," William chided. "Don't overexert yourself." The little child fumbled around, eventually finding the teenager's hand.

When the coughing subsided, the boy tried to squeeze his little counterpart's hand… though the amount of pressure he was able to increase was so small, the child barely even registered it.

"So anyways," he continued weakly. "Good news… magic. The bad news is… I'm pretty sure it's killing me." The little ambassador let loose a sound of despair, while William fell silent, hands closing tight.

Frisk closed his eyes and shuddered briefly.

"I feel like… someone replaced all the blood in my veins with gasoline, and then set it on fire." He managed a quiet, humourless laugh. "So you know… easily the second-most amount of pain I've ever been in."

"I've had better news," William muttered as he looked down at the two. He couldn't help them escape-but he had to do something.

"Yeah… pretty sure your magic isn't compatible with us. Not that they listened to me, for some reason."

"For your sake, let's hope it is," the albino stated softly, and then knelt, drawing the upset child close.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and I'll get strong enough to break us out of here," Frisk replied dryly, eyes still closed.

"Hmph...speaking of magic…" He started stroking the fusion's head between their horns. "Perhaps I can get your minds off this a little while."

The boy attempted to shrug, but couldn't manage it. He settled for replying;

"I'm not going anywhere."

The fusion gave a hum of confusion, while William smiled-even if it was strained. "I may have a story or two that would interest you."

"Story?" the fusion asked. "You never tell stories."

"Had no need to," was the reply. "Now...back before a certain someone stole the stars away from me-" He poked the child's side, causing them to squeak softly. "I had the ability to stop time altogether. Mind you, that was rather handy. And also mind I was a young Leader when this happened."

He kept his grin. "So one day...something entered the Capital Building-a dangerous problem, that I, at the time, didn't have an answer to. So I panicked, and froze time. And for a whole month, I walked around, trying to figure out the answer to my problem. In the end, I figured it out."

"...what was it even?" the little one asked.

"...a woman. They don't teach you how to interact with them."

The teen Frisk let out a short bark of laughter, quickly followed by a grimace.

"Ahh, it hurts to laugh." He opened his eyes, looking at William. "You were a lucky man, Billy. Lotta people would kill for the power to do that."

"Those people tended to find themselves in prison before they could 'technically' spring their attack back in the day."

"Lot easier to move forward when you know you can undo the damage," the boy agreed. "Wish I had more control over it when I had it."

"It's certainly complicated magic."

"Is it? I found it pretty… pretty simple. Just the voice in my head had different ideas on how we should use it," the boy murmured, closing his eyes again.

William shook his head. "It's a rather finicky thing on our side, I assure you."

"... huh," was the only reply.

The fusion tilted their head up. "...any more stories?"

"Well…"

Time passed, with William telling more stories in an attempt to keep the spirits of the others up. It was hard to tell how long it had been, but eventually, long after William had fallen silent the teen stirred slightly.

"Billy?"

There was a soft sigh. "Yes?"

"Is Mini-me awake?" the boy asked quietly.

William looked down. "Can't tell-but they haven't stirred in a while. Frisk…?" There was no response from the child.

"Good," The teen was quiet for a few moments, then said softly; "You know I'm not gonna survive this… right?"

"I'm no doctor," William murmured. "But you're not dead yet, so there's still a chance." Regardless of how slim it may be.

"No," the boy replied, trying to put a little force into his words while keeping his raspy voice quiet. "I need you to understand. Mini-me's only gonna have you left until you get rescued. You have… have to be there for them."

William bit his lip, looking at the boy. "I don't plan to leave them alone."

The boy smiled for a moment, before letting it fade.

"I can feel the magic…" he said quietly. "It's burning me from the inside out. Our souls aren't as strong as yours… I don't even have as much Determination as I used to." Frisk grimaced. "And they… they're going to use me as their guinea pig," he swallowed. "They want to see how far they can push it… how much magic we can hold. I already feel like hell… and they'll just keep running tests until I can't take anymore."

William paused. "You need Determination?" he questioned quietly.

"Huh?"

"If you're saying it the way I believe you are-then you need Determination in your soul to handle the magic?"

"I… I don't know?" the teen replied in confusion. "I don't even… I've never had magic before. I don't know what would…"

"It's a chance," William replied. "On my side, all our souls host Determination-to the point that one could donate it like blood. If that's what you need to survive, then I'll find a way to get it to you."

"Uh, Billy? Remember the part where stuff from your side brought me to this point in the first place? Adding more doesn't really seem like the best idea."

William sighed slowly. "No, but at this point, they're just going to keep injecting you with purely more magic. You said it yourself, you don't think you're going to make it. Determination is...something we use, and something that might give you a fighting chance. As it stands...how much more can we lose?"

"I guess… at this point, it can't get any worse…" Frisk mumbled. "But how would you even…?"

"Let me worry about that. You focus on not keeling over dead, all right?"

"Okay…"

William relaxed. "There we go…" he murmured, before jerking as he noticed the fusion quivering in his hold and starting to whimper.

The teen's eyes opened, and he managed to move his head so he was looking down on them.

"...little one?" the albino questioned.

They raised their head, sobbing and shaking their head. "We need to leave," they managed. "I don't-I want him-noooo!"

"Mini-me? What's… what's wrong?" Frisk asked in concern.

"You need to get away from them!"

William dead-panned. "So much for being asleep."

The little Frisk shook their head harshly and clamped onto the older counterpart's arm. "You gotta stay!" They couldn't do this again!

"I'll do my best…" the teen replied quietly, inwardly cursing that he had inadvertently let the child hear everything.

The fusion sniffled, burying their face gently against him. "I'm sorry," they whimpered.

"It's not your fault…"

They shook their head. "My side keeps causing-pro-problems for yours."

"C'mon, that's not fair. Overwatch woulda tried something like this anyways, even if your side wasn't involved. Don't blame yourself for this…"

"Always breaking things I fix…"

"Hey… look at me." The teen would have grabbed the child's face to make them look at him, but he wasn't strong enough to do so right now.

The blindfolded child gave a more confused sound as they tilted their head up toward his voice.

"Listen." Frisk tried to make his voice as soothing as possible. "It's not your fault there's jerks on your side. There are on mine too. It's not your fault." He paused. "Listen. No matter what happens… no matter how this ends…" He managed a smile, wishing the child could see it.

"You brought my sister back. I got to see her again. I didn't ever think that was going to happen, so… thank you."

The child was quiet-but it seemed to help...a little. That didn't stop them from holding onto him-as if that might stop him from slipping away.

Time crept by, though it was impossible to say how much with no way to measure it. Footsteps approached, and William turned his attention to the door, slowly approaching it to see who had come to visit them.

Food slid though, but William looked out the small window as the man on the other side rose. The blue eye. "...you're back."

The blue eye looked up, but didn't say anything.

"We need Determination," William stated flatly.

"Why?"

"The boy is going to die without it," William hissed. "Can you get Determination-or the means to extract it?"

The other turned. "No promises," he stated quietly, before leaving at a brisk pace.

It felt like eons, but the blue eye eventually returned, and rolled a syringe under the gap. "Hurry it up," the blue eye muttered. "Don't know how much time the lot of you have."

William took it, swiftly injecting it into his arm, wincing as he drew out Determination. He shielded it in the dark, seeing a very faint glow to it. Good, he didn't extract blood. Then, he went to the teenager. "Hang on," he mumbled. "At least they can't tell with all the other needles they've been using…"

The boy looked up blearily.

"Wha?"

"Determination," William muttered. "We'll lose you for sure if we don't try this. Let's take the gamble,

"Don't you need that though?" the prone Human protested weakly.

"I have almost no magic right now. It'll come back. You need it more than anyone else here." He gently grabbed the boy's arm.

"Kay…"

William quietly injected the Determination. He debated on doing a second dose, but the blue eye called a soft warning, letting him know there wasn't enough time, and that some Determination was better than nothing.

Hurriedly, the red eye shoved it back under, knowing there would be trouble if they were caught with it. The blue eye snatched it up with surprising speed and hid it away, wordlessly leaving them.

It wasn't much longer before the sound of footsteps returned to the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear for the story, for I, PetalThorn, am in charge of the rest of the uploads this week! > : D
> 
> This can only end well!


	26. Overseer

A luxurious, well-kept office. A desk dominating the middle of the room, a small stack of papers on the green velvet covering the oaken wood. A wireless phone sat in it's charger, the interface glowing slightly.

The room was well-lit, and shelves of books and files lined the walls. Under the desk itself was a large red rug, keeping the desk from touching the concrete floor. Three men occupied the room, one seated at the desk, the other standing before it, pouring wine from an uncorked bottle into two glasses. The third stood at attention close by the door, blue eyes watching the two.

"I see the research is faring well," the scarred red eye murmured, looking over some papers from where he was seated. He grinned. "You may have lost your magic, but with this research, I'm sure we can figure things out soon enough."

The other man, who wore a black business suit with a red tie, grinned in satisfaction, placing the wine bottle down on the desk gently.

"Yes, the "prince" has proved to take remarkably well to the magics so far. Holding three different kinds at once now, and all our reports only say he is in mere agonizing pain." The grin widened. "I would say that would be well worth the rewards, wouldn't you?"

The red eyes sparked slightly. "I do have to wonder what the boy did to entice this out of you. Then again, Monsters have been a thorn in our side, one way or another. Don't try to kill him too fast. We only have one other viable test subject that we can do as we please with as it stands."

The Overwatch man's face darkened, his lip curling into a sneer, ruffling his thin moustache.

"That boy brought the Monsters to the surface in the first place. Not only that, but the fool allowed his own magic to be extracted from him in defense of the Monsters." He walked back to the red-eye, proffering a full wineglass to him. "He is a traitor to our race, and we must test our limits one way or the other. Why not use him for it?"

The scarred human took it, though didn't start drinking it right away. "True, but to make one truly suffer-you don't let them die, not just yet. His soul isn't strong enough to keep like ours can. Not that this death is going fast, but if you want to make him suffer-have him suffer long. Not that it isn't proving useful."

Blue eyes altered their gaze, as the other magical Human stood quietly elsewhere in the room, basically acting as a guard, though he knew it was all for show, honestly.

Deep green eyes narrowed in concentration as the Overwatch man took a sip of his drink.

"Hmm, you do make a fair point. We already have enough to begin injecting the subjects with magic, though some extra testing would not go amiss. I suppose I am just eager to finally have this underway. My people have dreamed of nothing else for centuries, and now that the dream is so close to becoming a reality…"

"But if you take it in haste now," the red eye chided. "You'll end up like we did. Our group got a little over confident, and tried to strike, and in doing so, we were taken down. Take it in stride, and you'll have your magic back, and the Monsters will be under your control-however you wish that to be."

"Not only the Monsters…" the green-eyed man murmured. "Once we have magic, people from all over the world will flock to us. They will beg us to grant them the power that we wield. We will take this world for our own, and crush the Monsters under our heel. And of course..." he took another sip of his drink. "We will help restore you and your people to the power you deserve."

"Not that it should be too difficult with an army. And once we're both settled, we shouldn't be in each other's way, either."

"Agreed. And with Monsters out of the way, well. It should be easy enough. It is fortunate you found us when you did."

"We were in a bit of a bind, but, this has given us a chance to recuperate, and on this side, we have few equals to cause us trouble."

"I doubt you will have much-"

There was a sudden knocking at the door and the Overwatch man scowled at the interruption.

"What is it?"

The door opened, and another man came in, saluting when he saw the two.

"Prophet, Overseer. I am sorry to disturb you, but… someone called Jacob is here. He was very insistent that he speak with you, and he claims to be one of our people."

"What- how did he find this place?" the Overseer demanded, his green eyes sparking dangerously. The new man flinched.

"Sir, I… I don't know! He was already here when I saw him… what do you want me to do with him?"

The red eye shook his head. "What say we let him in? I think we already know why he's here."

"I am surprised to see him developing a backbone…" the Overseer returned his attention to his subordinate. "Show him in. And then get me a full report from the guards, I want to know exactly why he got this far in without us knowing about it."

The other man saluted nervously and quickly exited. The Overseer strode back to his desk with an irritated sigh and put his glass down.

"I look forward to the day when that little man is no longer necessary. Dealing with him is tedious at best."

The red eye gave an amused snort. "I find some entertainment when speaking to him, at the very least," he stated idly while the blue eye took his gaze to the door expectantly.

After a few moments, the door opened, and Jacob appeared, closely followed by two guards. The short man's forehead was glistening with sweat, and he kept licking his lips to keep them moisturized, but he met the Overseer's gaze mostly unflinchingly.

"You can stay outside," the Overwatch leader told the two guards who had followed Jacob in. "We won't need you here, I think."

The men saluted, and followed his command, stepping outside and closing the door behind them.

"Greetings, Jacob," the Overseer began, a false smile on his face, "How can we-"

"Where is my daughter?" Jacob demanded with more force than either of the other men had ever heard from him before. "What did you do with my Jennifer?"

"Ah, you're speaking of the young lady," the red eye murmured with a grin. "Is that all for this surprise visit?"

Jacob turned his head to stare at the red eye incredulously.

"All? What else does there need to be? I delivered the strangers to you, I did what you asked! You said you would leave us alone after this!"

"Jacob," the Overseer murmured, returning his drink to his hand and swirling it gently. "You must understand… once someone has turned traitor, well. Betrayal can come easily to him. We require insurance that you will not turn on us as well."

Jacob's shock and horror were written plainly across his round face.

"You… you can't be serious…"

"We've had our fair share of backstabbing in some form or another. This keeps things tightly knit." The red eye grinned. "But, when it no longer matters, we'll speak of this again, I'm sure."

"I want to see her!"

"I'm afraid that is out of the question," the Overseer murmured silkily. "But she is alive, and safe… so long as you don't do anything… foolish."

"This… this wasn't part of our deal!" Jacob exclaimed, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. "You can't-"

The red eyes flashed. "You." He stepped forward. "Are in no position to bargain, interrogate, or make any sudden moves. I suggest leaving before you step too far and burn that shaky bridge that you're standing on."

"Jennifer's life is in your hands, Jacob," the Overseer said, his voice low and dangerous as he came to stand beside the otherworlder. "Would you truly be so callous as to throw away the life of the only family you have left?"

"I… I…" Jacob felt his throat closing down, words unable to escape it as fear flooded through him.

The blue-eye guard turned, and raised a hand in salute. Red eyes glanced to him. "Yes?"

"Shall I escort him out, Sirs?"

"Yes, do so," the Overseer glanced at the now-quivering Jacob. "I believe our compatriot has said all he needs to for today."

Jacob lowered his head, tears pricking at his eyes, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

The blue eye walked over, grabbing a shoulder roughly. "Move along," he muttered.

Jacob allowed himself to be pulled along numbly, shuffling his feet as despair threatened to crush him under its weight.

They walked along quietly for some time, before the blue eye glanced around, and then muttered: "Despite their methods, they're telling the truth about her."

"That they'll kill her if I set a foot wrong?" Jacob mumbled brokenly in response.

"That, but she's alive and well as of this morning," the blue eye stated quietly. "They haven't touched her since they took her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"So that you know what you're working with," the blue eye muttered. "Sadly, not a lot. Keep your head down, for both of your sake's...they'll be watching you closely after that impressive show there."

"Not that impressive," Jacob kept his eyes glued to the floor as he spoke softly and bitterly. "I probably only made things worse."

The blue eye was dead silent for several long moments as his gaze darkened. "You didn't make it worse," he said with a bit of force.

Jacob made no response to that, just allowed the blue-eye to continue leading him through the complex.

As they reached the exit, the blue eye tightened his grip briefly. "I'm sorry that they tangled you into their thing. I can't make promises-not even going to attempt it, but...I'll try to keep an eye on her. Just...let things roll their course. I…" The blue eye fell silent. He had an idea-a last ditch plan, but he was almost certain that he'd fail.

He pushed Jacob forward. "Go. Don't come back here."

Jacob raised his head for a moment, and gave a small nod, before turning and exiting the base.

 

"Well, I must admit," the Overseer smiled, leaning back in his chair. "It was amusing to put that little man back in his place."

"He had a bit more guts than we had assumed," the red eye murmured, grinning a little. "But being raised on that technique-it's good to see how easily it can still work."

"Agreed." The Overseer's smile faded a little. "I am more concerned as to how he found this place. And why I received no report of his arrival. He will keep his mouth shut for his daughter's sake, I'm sure. But I don't see how he could have found us on his own."

"True. He's not the type for that." Crimson eyes narrowed. "And for you to receive no report is the far more worrying part of this. Who did you have as front entrance guards?"

"Let me check…" The Overseer opened a drawer in his desk and rummaged through files for a moment before the phone on his desk rang. He frowned and reached for it, bringing it up to his ear.

"What is it?" He was silent for a few moments as a voice spoke quickly on the other end of the line, before standing up with a start, his eyes wide in shock.

"Shut it down, shut _everything_ down! I want everything on full lockdown! Put us on the highest alert, he _does not leave the complex_!"

The scarred man jumped to his feet. "What's wrong?" he demanded as he hurried over.

The Overseer slammed down the phone and hurried over to a cabinet on the far side of the room, opposite the door.

"We have to move quickly," he called, opening the cabinet and pulling a large pistol from it, checking it's ammunition. "The greatest thorn in our side has been spotted within the complex. If he is allowed to escape with the knowledge of where we are…"

The red eye clenched his fists. "If they can pin his location, I can stop him."

"You had better." The Overseer tossed another pistol towards the Red-eye. "Vigil is a Shifter, he can change his form to suit his needs. We will have to be fast to stop him."

The red eye nodded, catching it expertly. "They say the location, and he won't get anywhere."

"Good, let's go." The Overseer ran for the door as alarms began blaring and lights started to flash. "We are finally so close, I will not let this upstart ruin everything we have worked for!" With that, the two tore off, hunting down their intruder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And hopefully, with this, Thrones will be back in control of the story come Monday! XP Less terror and dismay strike this story-what's with all those looks? What do you mean that was happening before I came and uploaded?


	27. Tell Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petalthorn: *Crashes in* Ahhhhhhhhh, I don't know what happened, have a chapter! *Throws it at the website and crashes off it...she might be on fire*

Jeremiah drew a hand over his face, his good leg tapping the floor softly, while Michael stared absently at the table, not saying anything, as he had nothing to report. A dead end.

Asgore was sitting at the far end of the table, holding Rias in his arms, and rocking his baby daughter back and forth. She was fast asleep, and the former king looked down on her tenderly, though there was a core of sadness in his gaze.

Toriel stepped into the dining room, her shoulders slumped and her walk slow. She made her way towards a table with a weary sigh, and no wonder. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.

The yellow eye fidgeted, grabbing his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes, as if it would make someone call any sooner. "Did you check everywhere?" he muttered softly.

"Trust me, if I didn't, Undyne did," Michael replied.

"At least Mettaton's big interview has gotten attention," Asgore spoke up, glancing away from Rias for a moment. "Now we have many people aware of the situation. Perhaps some of them will be able to find something?"

"But whoever took them will know too," Toriel murmured defeatedly. "They will keep Frisk and the others under even closer guard now."

"Dogamy and the others are looking in on where the cloak was found," Jeremiah stated softly. "There's still a scent to follow." He knew the likelihood of it turning up anything was slim to none, but he also knew the Boss Monster needed some assurance…

"We are going to have to bring the search to a wider level," Asgore supplied. "We are going to meet with the President in a few days, see what other help we can get in authorizing a nation-wide search at the very least. They're not in the city, or the surrounding towns, I think we can say that for certain."

Jeremiah frowned at the government term, but nodded slowly. "It's something at least…"

Michael quivered. "It doesn't make sense though. William and Frisk are both very powerful...they should have managed something at this point…"

"It does depend on where they were taken," Toriel pointed out softly. "If it was far away, perhaps they have escaped but are unable to find their way home? The world is a big place, after all."

"We just have to keep trying," Asgore rumbled quietly. "We _will_ find them one way or another."

Michael nodded. "I just wished I had another place to start from…"

"We'll figure something out," Jeremiah replied as his eyes narrowed, the yellow orbs sparking.

"I hope so," Toriel whispered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she clenched her robe in her grip.

Asgore stood from his seat, careful not to disturb the infant in his hold and padded quietly over to his wife. He seated himself next to her, moving the chair so that they could sit side by side. She leaned into him with a small grateful sound, though she too kept herself from waking her baby.

Jeremiah dipped his head. "Michael and I should take our leave. It grows late, and I don't want to be out for long in the dark…"

Michael started to stand. "Right…"

Asgore nodded, looking up at them.

"Do what you need to. Let us know if you find anything."

"You'll be among the first to know," Jeremiah replied, grimacing as he slowly stood, using the table as a support.

Michael frowned. "You all right?"

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. "As fine as I'll ever be."

Toriel looked up, her concern in her eyes.

"Do you require assistance?"

"No thank you," he managed, pulling a smile. "I'll handle it."

Michael shook his head. "And you say I'm the hardheaded one."

Jeremiah's grin seemed genuine for a brief moment. "I'm just stealing your job for a bit."

"Of course you are…"

With that, Jeremiah hobbled for the hall to the front door. "I've managed good distances like this."

"Not when you look so exhausted though," Michael muttered as he moved forward to open the door.

Before he had a chance to do so, it burst open, sending him staggering back. A moment later, a figured covered in jet-black plate armor slammed Michael into the wall, his forearm keeping him pinned there. A harsh red glow lit up the Human's face and the tip of a tail pressed against the base of his throat.

"Make a move, make so much as a _sound_ without my permission, Human, and I swear it will be your last," the figure growled, increasing the pressure on Michael's throat as emphasis.

"Michael!" Jeremiah raised his hands, magic charging. He didn't have his weapons, but he could still shoot raw magic. His eyes were wide, pupils dilating into pinpricks, the magic sparking on his fingertips. Michael's orange eyes seemed owlish in comparison as he resisted gagging while trying to keep oxygen in his lungs.

"If you care about this man's life," the black armored man called, not turning his helmed head away from Michael. "Then you will rescind your magic. Now." The voice took on a disgusted tone. "Or is it too much to think that you pigs have any loyalty to each other?"

The yellow eye quivered, slowly lowering his shaking arms, slumping against the wall roughly. "Let him go." The words were forceful-albeit soft and ragged. "I don't know what you want-but he doesn't have it, I swear." So quickly, the man had been reduced to begging and bargaining for the other.

"Micheal? Jeremiah?" Toriel's voice called from the other room. "What is going- Vigil?"

"Stay back, my Lady," Vigil growled as Toriel came into view, followed closely by Asgore. "These men are not what they seem."

"Vigil, they are friends, they're helping us," Toriel raised her hands placatingly in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Please, just let him go."

Vigil shook his head.

"They are trying to fool you, my Lady. These men are from Overwatch, they have probably been sent here to kill you!"

"What? Vigil, these men… they're from the other world! They are helping us find my son and some of their people who went missing! Please stop-"

"Oh really?" Vigil turned his head, seeming to focus on Jeremiah. "Then explain to me why I felt several magical signatures inside the Overwatch Headquarters that were exactly the same as these men?"

Jeremiah looked up, slowly registering the words-but even in his panic, confusion briefly flickered over his features.

Toriel hesitated in bewilderment.

"What?"

"I finally found their Headquarters." Vigil explained, not lessening the pressure on Michael. "I've been following clues on it ever since we fought them last year, and I finally succeeded. It wasn't long before they found me, and I had to flee, but while I was there," he paused for a moment, returning his attention to the man in his hold.

"I don't know how, but they've done it. There were maybe thirty or forty Humans there with magic re-awakened. They bear their own symbol and their own name as Overwatch's elite unit. So, _Human_ ," he growled at Michael. "What does the name 'Reaper's Harvest' mean to you?"

Michael gagged in alarm, and for a moment, his fear vanished. "Reaper's Harvest is _here_!?"

Vigil was quiet for a moment, caught off guard by the unexpected reaction.

"Explain yourself. Now."

"Underground group from our side-we were trying to root them out! They kidnapped the Ambassador before-" Michael was babbling somewhat, but it was hard to think coherent sentences when he could be moments away from dying.

"They told us about them before," Asgore rumbled. "They seem to be much the same as Overwatch, but from the other side of the Rift. He is not lying, Vigil. Come, there is no need for this."

The Shifter still hesitated, but then slowly, he pulled his tail away and stepped back, finally allowing Michael room to breathe.

Michael took a hand to his throat, breathing roughly, before jerking his head as he looked to Jeremiah. As soon as Vigil had stepped back, the man had slid roughly against the wall, and fell to the floor, clutching his bad leg. "Jeremiah!" Michael rushed over, kneeling down, grabbing the other's shoulders. "Hey-look at me-I'm okay!"

Vigil ignored the two men and looked to the two Boss Monsters, his tail now lowered to the floor where it twitched erratically.

"You are sure about this? About them?"

"They are friends, Vigil." Toriel assured calmly, though a bit of steel had entered her voice. "They have been helping Monsters on the other side for years, according to our friends. They have even helped root out…. 'Reaper's Harvest' before." the former queen narrowed her eyes. "Your attack was completely uncalled for."

Vigil stood still, thinking, then slowly lowered himself to one knee, bowing his head before the former royals.

"Forgive me," he murmured. "After all I have learned today, I feared they were already prepared to move on you."

"We are not the ones you should be apologizing to."

Michael looked up. "C-can we please move into a bigger room before we continue?" He seemed tense as he positioned himself as a bit of a shield to the other human.

"Of course," Toriel replied gently. She and Asgore quickly went to the two Humans, each helping one up to make their way into the much more spacious living room. Vigil rose, and followed a short distance behind.

Michael visibly relaxed once they were there and Jeremiah was able to take a seat. The officer went over, knowing he needed to calm him down. "Jeremiah." He grabbed his shoulders again. "Hey-it's all right. We're not there-we got out, I'm okay, you're alive. Come on…"

Jeremiah slowly turned his head, his eyes steadily returning to normal.

"You okay?" Michael asked.

The other nodded slowly, keeping his hands on his leg, before he raised his head, seeming to compose himself, though he was now watching Vigil carefully as Michael took a seat beside him.

"I am sorry," the armored Monster said at last. "But you can understand, given the information I had, why I made the assumptions I did."

Michael looked up, orange eyes sparking. "And what other information do you have on them?" he asked, one hand closed tight. "I thought there wasn't a Reaper's Harvest on this side."

"If there is, I've never heard of them." Vigil acknowledged. "I admit to not knowing much of your side, only what Lord Sans has told me. But their magical signatures were nearly identical to yours. Some were still different, but…"

Jeremiah frowned. "But we were told Humans didn't have magic on this side. It doesn't make sense for there to be a second Reaper's Harvest…"

"Your people do have a unique magical signature," Toriel began slowly, seating herself in her chair, while Asgore quickly returned to the kitchen to take Rias and bring her upstairs. "And it is… different than how our Humans felt when there were Wizards who wielded magic. Which must mean…" her eyes widened.

Michael looked up. "...I don't like where this is going."

"Would that not make sense?" Toriel asked, her voice rising. "You said that your Frisk and William are very powerful, they should have been able to return by now! What if it is Humans from your side keeping them locked away?"

Vigil shifted, his tail wrapping around his legs.

"You did say Frisk had been captured…" the armored Shifter muttered, almost to himself.

Jeremiah trembled. "Dammit," he muttered. "You're telling me two organizations have teamed up to cause us grief?"

"It would seem that way, but how could this have happened?" Toriel fretted, digging her claws into the arms of her chair. She whipped her head around to look at Vigil.

"You said you found their Headquarters. Did you find anything that could lead us to Frisk?"

Vigil shook his head slowly.

"I was lucky I was able to find as much as I did. They caught on to me quickly, and I barely made it out of there."

"Just one moment," Asgore spoke up, coming down the stairs and standing behind his wife. "Vigil, you didn't know we had people missing, correct?"

The Shifter inclined his head and Asgore continued.

"Then why did you come here?"

"My people have been searching for Overwatch's main base for centuries. Until now, we have never been able to locate it. But I alone am not enough to take it. I had hoped to enlist your aid in destroying the place once and for all."

Jeremiah went to stand-but then settled with where he was. "I certainly wouldn't mind shooting a few of Reaper's Harvest down."

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. "You're going to have a line, I think…"

"If Overwatch's ranks have been bolstered by Humans with magic," Vigil murmured thoughtfully. "They must certainly be stopped. And if they are behind your son's kidnapping again, then even if he is not there, we should be able to find clues as to where he is being kept."

"What do you want to do, love?"Asgore asked his wife quietly, grasping her shoulder gently with a hand.

"We need to find our people," Toriel replied after a moment. "This is the only lead we have. And even if they're not there… We cannot ignore this threat."

Michael looked up. "Then Jeremiah and I should call the others-if they know that he was there, they'll want to clear out before anyone gets back there to do anything to them."

"Yes, best we move quickly," Vigil acknowledged.

"Then we will put out a call too." Toriel stood, her eyes bright with emotion. "There is a place not far from here where I meet sometimes with friends from the school. There should be enough room there for everyone. There, we can decide what to do about all this."


	28. One Chance

“Alright, Vigil,” Toriel said quietly from her seat at the table. “Why don’t you start by telling us everything you know about the base?”

The armored Shifter nodded and stood, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room to him. In addition to Toriel and Asgore, Undyne, Alphys, Sans and Papyrus sat along one side of the long table that filled the majority of the simple room with brown carpeted floors and grey cement walls.

Dogaressa was there too, seated beside Undyne, and Kid stood behind Asgore, Chara hovering in the air right behind him. She cast nervous looks at the two Humans periodically, but so far had refrained from panicking.

On the other side of the table, Grillby and Muffet sat side-by-side, with their Chara and Alma close by them. Dogamy, Rex, Neo and Napstablook all had their own seats, as well as Jeremiah and Michael.

Vigil looked to them all, before leaning forward, resting both his hands on the table and leaning his weight on them. While the others had been arriving, he had been sketching out a map of sorts on a large piece of paper that took up the middle of the table.

“It has been hiding right under our noses for centuries,” he began. “Their headquarters are located on the other side of Mt. Ebott. Underground.”

The ghost looked up in dismay. “Oh no…” they mumbled. “I wasn’t even looking near there at all...I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, Blooky,” Neo assured, before glancing back to the armored being.

“There is only one entrance that I was able to find.” Vigil continued, pointing at a long tunnel drawn on the map. “Here. The entrance is mostly clear, though I believe there are security cameras hidden there. About halfway down the tunnel,” he moved his finger. “Is the first checkpoint. A barbed wire fence with a station on either side that can only be opened from within. There were about ten guards there when I entered.”

“Shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Dogaressa murmured, watching the map with narrowed eyes. 

“The second checkpoint is here, right where the tunnel ends. This one is far more heavily guarded, and instead of a fence, they have a wall covering the length of the tunnel. There’s a steel gate in the middle that can be raised from within. 

“Unlike the first checkpoint, they mean business here. All pretences of being a legitimate operation are dropped, and the guards there look like they’re just waiting for the order to gun you down. Once we pass that, we get into their base.”

He gestured to the rest of the map. “The tunnel opens up into a huge cavern, and this is where their base has been. There are several buildings, here, here and here. The biggest one is probably their main complex, if we need information, it’ll probably be in there.”

“What’s this?” Sans asked, pointing to a long blue line winding through the middle of the sketch of the cavern. 

“That, Lord Sans-”

“Please don’t call me that,” the skeleton muttered.

“-is a river that flows through the cavern. I believe this is part of the reason why it has been so difficult to locate the place. It appears to be self sufficient, generating it’s own energy and producing it’s own food. No paper trail to lead us to them, and no reason for them to have a constant need for supplies.”

“Pretty handy,” Gerson muttered. “Say...where does that river flow to?” he asked, squinting at the map, while Rex rose a little in order to see it from their position. 

“It flowed down into a tunnel… here,” Vigil pointed at the left side of the map, tapping where the river disappeared to. “It flows fairly fast and the tunnel was too small to fit down.”

Jeremiah folded his arms. “So as far as we can tell, there’s one way in, and one way out...is there a good vantage point outside?” 

“No, I’m afraid not. The forest outside is fairly thick, and the entrance is well concealed. Our most prudent course will have to be to take the fight to them.”

Vigil clenched his hands into fists. 

“But it will not be easy even then. The place is well fortified. There are guards everywhere, And I spotted a few fortifications and machine-gun nests about the place. They will not go down without a fight.”

Grillby looked up. “I could possibly be able to do something about their weaponry…”

“I have a question,” Dogaressa spoke up, folding her arms and looking at Vigil. “These Overwatch people, do you know what they would want with Frisk and the other Humans?”

“Overwatch’s goal has been to reawaken magic in our Humans for as long as I can remember,” Vigil replied solemnly. “Though it was not the goal they were founded with. The last time they took Frisk, they wanted to use him as a source to achieve their goals. If, as seems likely, they have taken him again, their goals are probably much the same.”

Muffet clenched her fists. “And if they’re somehow teaming up with Reaper’s Harvest...as little sense as that makes...then they have magic to experiment with. They might be trying to use the Human magic from our world to reawaken your own Human’s magic…” 

Undyne’s eye narrowed.

“Maybe that’s why they haven’t been able to get out.” she muttered. “They got drained… like how you guys were when we met.” A fist clenched on the table as the warrior growled.

“B-but…” Alphys looked over to Muffet. “I don’t… I don’t even know if our magics are compatible at all! There’s so many differences, and Human souls… they’re not nearly as powerful as they used to be! Experiments with that would be so dangerous…”

Alphys trailed off while Toriel slowly stood, her head lowered and her expression unreadable.

Dogamy looked over to her with concern, while others went silent, watching the Boss Monster. 

“Papyrus, Napstablook,” Toriel stated, her voice emotionless. “I would like you to take Kid, Rex, and Muffet’s children out. I want you to get Rias, Alexander and Dogaressa’s pups together, please.”

“Er, is everything alright, your Majesty?” Papyrus asked, though he was already rising.

“I just want to make sure the little ones are safe while we talk,” Toriel replied calmly. “That is all.”

“Oh...okay,” Napstablook mumbled.

“Hey…” Rex started to protest.

Gerson put a hand on them. “If it’s important, I’ll tell you later.”

Rex reluctantly complied, sliding off their seat, while Chara followed Alma in irritation, with Napstablook nudging the two along.

Kid looked to his girlfriend, who looked about to protest the decision, but then thought better of it. 

“Go on,” she murmured to him. “And hurry back.”

“Okay…” Kid still hesitated for a moment, then trotted after the others while the last remaining red soul floated over to her father.

Toriel followed the others to the door then closed it behind them. She stood there for a few moments, her hand reflexively grasping her robe, then letting go. She did not turn around as she began to speak.

“Again, and again, my children have been taken from me.” Her voice quivered with a combination of anger and grief. “Asriel. Chara. Every child I cared for in exile. Frisk was taken once before, and we were barely able to bring him back. Now…”

Her hands clenched into fists. 

“Not a week after Chara has returned to us from death, my son is taken from me once again. To be experimented on in some twisted attempt to “restore” Humanity. **_No. More._** ”

The Boss Monster turned, and her left eye had become an inferno. Pure white magic poured forth from it, obscuring her pupil and her natural eye from vision, while her face was twisted in a furious snarl.

“We will give them **_one chance_** to surrender our people to us. If they refuse, then I do not intend to give them the opportunity to harm our people **_ever again._** ”

While the others were caught off guard by her sudden ferocity--there were no arguments. The Monsters had lost their patience with the different groups of Humans a while back, and had no intention of going through this again.

Gerson looked to her. “I don’t think you’re going to find much arguing over that,” he muttered. “They’ve been out to kill us, and I think for everyone’s sake, we should strike back at them.” 

Jeremiah nodded. “If this is Reaper’s Harvest, then they’ll try to overthrow our government on our side. They’re a threat to all the Monsters, as well as our side in general. They nearly killed others before. I don’t personally see a reason to let it slide again.” 

“I just want to make sure we are all on the same page,” Toriel rumbled. “I do not intend to show these Humans Mercy if they keep my son from me.”

There was no disagreement from the gathered, in fact, they chorused their approval of the decision. A smile slowly broke across Toriel’s face, and the harsh glow in her left eye faded, though it did not fully disappear.

“Good. I intend to use everything in our power to defeat this enemy.” She looked pointedly at Sans and Undyne. “ _Everything_.” 

“Wait, Tori,” Sans began. “You’re not talking about...”

Undyne had a confused look on her face for a moment, then she smiled widely and pounded the table in excitement.

“Yes! Oh man, I’ve been waiting forever to pull out our big guns! These jerks won’t know what hit them!”

The others glanced around in confusion, but the eagerness to move forward didn’t fade. “Then let’s figure out the best course of action,” Grillby stated. His voice was calm, but blue and white flames danced on his features.

“Agreed,” Toriel walked a little closer to the table, looking over the map Vigil had drawn up. “Vigil, how high is the ceiling in this cavern?”

The Shifter took a moment to think it over, crossing his arms as he did so. 

“I would say… seventy feet, perhaps?” 

“That’s a lot of space,” Toriel murmured. “So would it be safe to assume that we can sustain an aerial assault then?”

The red light behind Vigil’s visor brightened. 

“Not safe for them,” he vowed.

Neo looked up. “I might be able to assist in that department,” he reported. 

“Yes, I remember from the last battle,” Toriel said quietly. “In that case, you, Vigil and Alphys will take to the air as soon as we get there. Hit them where they’re vulnerable, keep them from regrouping, and take down any defenses that could cause a problem for us.”

Vigil and Alphys both nodded. 

“As you command, my lady,” the Shifter murmured, his tail swishing gently behind him

“W-we’ll do what we can,” Alphys added. 

Grillby perked as an idea struck him. “Muffet and I may be able to herd them around in some instances...however…” His flames dimmed. “If this is truly Reaper’s Harvest...we Monsters do have other concerns if we get attacked…”

“You are referring to the magic draining, correct?” Toriel asked, her eyes narrowing.

The elemental nodded slowly, a snap in his flames. “Now that we are aware of it, they can’t surprise us with the weapons, but...I’m not sure how vulnerable the rest of you will be…” 

Undyne looked up.

“Wait a sec, didn’t Gerson say something about Rex being immune to the magic draining thing?”

The turtle perked. “With Rex being the only one with that type, they don’t have the knowledge on it yet to drain it. They’re going to be the only one on our side to take a hit from it without any injury.”

“I do not like the idea of them being involved…” Toriel murmured.

“W-wait,” Alphys spoke up, raising a hand. “Ummm, Undyne might have a point though! I-if, their magic draining weapons don’t work on Rex, then they probably won’t be able to affect us, either!”

“What do you mean?” Asgore asked, giving his full attention to the reptile.

“W-well, Rex has the same base magic as they do, right?” Alphys explained. “He’s closer to their magic than any of us are. If the… differences there are enough to keep him from getting drained, then our magics, which are much different, should be immune to the effects as well.”

“What if Overwatch gave Reaper’s Harvest information on our magic?” Toriel questioned. “Then they’d still be able to affect us.”

“How could they?” Vigil replied. “Overwatch has never had the materials to actually study our magic, let alone do anything with it. The worst they can do is construct a device that they think will work on us, only to have it fail catastrophically.”

“That sounds about right,” Muffet replied, folding her hands neatly. “They only had our magic by studying Frisk--and they had to go through a lot of Frisk’s magic to make the weapon. If the gap is wide enough...then you might have nothing to fear.”

“If that is the case,” Toriel returned her attention to the map. “Then when we attack, we need to go in groups, keep our people together so that if you are drained, we can keep you protected and out of harm’s way. And it goes without saying that anyone seen wielding one of these weapons must be taken down as fast as possible.”

Neo nodded. “I can survive an initial hit due to my robotic body shielding me, so I can last a little longer…”

Grillby glanced over. “That doesn’t mean I want you attempting to be a shield.”

“I’ll certainly try to avoid the situation, I just got back into working order, thank you very much. Besides--I plan to stay above the fray for a good portion of this.” 

“Sounds about right for our oversized calculator,” Gerson assured.

“Now, Vigil,” Toriel looked back to the Shifter. “Do you have any idea where they might have been kept? Assuming they are there at all?”

“I’m afraid not,” Vigil’s tail stilled as he spoke. “I didn’t get a chance to look inside any of the buildings beforehand. But I might be able to find out.”

“What do you mean?” Undyne questioned.

“This is their main base,” Vigil’s voice was quiet and menacing. “We have the chance to strike a blow that they will never recover from. I’ve contacted my brethren around the world. When we strike here, so will they. Every Overwatch outpost will go down in flames.

“But I have a friend in the area. He’s one of our best, he’s infiltrated numerous Overwatch bases undetected. If I can get him into their HQ before we attack, he may be able to point us in the right direction.”

Dogamy looked over. “That might be for the best. Our highest priority would be to find them as swiftly as possible--lest the enemy hold them in a position where we are unable to act.”

“Pup’s right,” Gerson replied. “This can easily turn into a hostage situation if we don’t find them right away…”

“And if we’re coming in with an army, more or less,” the elemental added. “You can be sure that is what they’ll resort to when things get out of hand.”

“As long as he can get in…” Alphys mumbled. “They’ll probably be on the… the lookout for things like this after Vigil got in…”

“Then we too will have to move fast,” Toriel stated. “We can’t give them the opportunity to use our people against us. We-” 

“I can help,” Chara said quietly, drawing her mother’s attention to her, as well as the others.

“I can help,” she repeated. “While I’m like this, I can pass through their defenses… I can help find Frisk.”

Grillby’s flames stilled. “Chara, I fear that may not be wise. If it was only Overwatch...but Reaper’s Harvest knows how to capture souls…”

Muffet swallowed, fidgeting a little. “They can do it with general ease. You’d have to stay well hidden and out of their grasp…” 

Chara flinched, and Toriel stepped close to her daughter. 

“My child… you are vulnerable to their magic. In the heat of battle, they could kill you. And you do not have much strength to call upon for battle.”

“But-”

“I will not risk losing you again. Not to this. We will be able to handle it ourselves.”

“I want to help!” Chara cried, her form brightening and darkening erratically.

“And I want you to be safe.”

“Then let me keep her safe.”

The occupants of the room turned as the door opened, revealing Kid, Rex and the two other red ghosts. There was a fire lit in Kid’s eyes and he stepped forward into the room.

Gerson quietly turned to the intrusion, his eyes gentle. “How so?” was all he asked. 

“She wants to help,” Kid explained, his voice low, an undercurrent of anger prevalent in it. “So do I. Her brother is my friend, and little Frisk helped bring her back. We can come, we can fuse like we did in the graveyard.”

“Figured that was what you young’un would say…” Gerson nodded, and turned. “Toriel, if he’s immune to the magic drain--then they can’t touch her as a fusion--however, I’m afraid that’s going to be your call.” 

“Kid,” Toriel sighed, flicking her gaze to the children behind him. “How long have you all been listening in?”

“Long enough,” was the quiet reply. “We want to help. Please.”

Toriel looked to her daughter for a moment, but the ghost didn’t say anything, she seemed to be focusing on the floor now. The Boss Monster sighed. 

“Alright, Kid. If Chara agrees to it, you may come. We can use all the help we can get. I want this over with as soon as possible.”

Rex looked up quietly at Kid, in awe of him briefly, before turning in surprise as their own Chara moved past them. “...The more fusions the better,” they finally spoke.

Grillby gave the ghost a look. “The more…?” he questioned. The younger ghost nodded as they rose, and Grillby frowned. “You’re not going,” he stated firmly.

Their form sparked. “Why?” they asked, with Alma fading a little and hiding back in the doorway where a concerned Napstablook had poked their head in.

“Why?” Muffet repeated. “They _took_ you, we’re not letting that happen again!”

“It won’t happen again!” they snapped. “We were taken because we didn’t know--now we do! The fusion is the best chance we have!”

“Chara--”

They floated up, magic swirling. “Let me come! If we don’t fuse, you’ll be more vulnerable, it’s our best bet! I want to help, because I’m _sick_ of the Humans thinking that they’re above everything! That they’re above _you_!” 

“Little one,” Asgore rumbled while Kid went to stand beside his girlfriend. “Calm yourself, please. I understand your anger, but a fusion is not something to be taken lightly. Ultimately, this is their decision, is it not?”

“I know that,” the ghost managed, sounded like they were speaking through gritted teeth. “But if I don’t say anything, they’ll try to leave us behind.” Their fists closed tight, their form quivering harshly. “We share the same goal. It would be stable.” 

“Who’re ya trying to convince, kiddo?” Sans asked from his spot at the table, leaning back in his chair as he spoke.

They pointed at the elemental and spider instantly. “Them.” They might be acting rashly, but they felt their words were the truth. They didn’t want to be left behind. They wanted to help, and to do it right. 

Sans raised a socket at that, but didn’t comment further. This would be up to the couple, after all.

The younger Chara kept their gaze on the two. “The fusion worked well,” they managed. “You were more powerful, you could fight the Humans with little risk. The only reason it went wrong was because we were drained--and you know that!”

“It doesn’t change the fact that it has happened, and could happen again…” Grillby started.

“But…” Muffet perked in alarm as Alma came forward, their form dimmer than usual. “...I…”

The spider frowned. “Do you want to do this?”

“...not really,” Alma admitted. “I...but I... “ They closed their hands. “If we defeat the meanies--it’ll be for sure this time? Right? And it’ll save both Frisks...we gotta--I have to! We can do it together! They’re hurting them, and I don’t want them hurting!” 

Grillby and Muffet looked at each other, each hesitant over the idea. “And if we were to be drained again?” Grillby questioned.

“Alma and I can phase into the ground out of their sight if it did happen again…” Chara managed quietly.

The elemental’s light dimmed dramatically--the room itself seeming to turn dark. “If I were to say no…?”

“You can’t hold me back.”

Muffet’s eyes narrowed. “Dearie…”

“Ground me all you want afterwards,” they muttered. “I’m going, one way or another.”

“Chara,” Grillby started sternly, the crackling in his fire causing Alma to fade. “If you truly wish to do this--I need you to calm down between then and now.” The ghost rose up in surprise, and Grillby nodded. “Calm your nerves if you wish to do this…I do not appreciate the idea of you going anywhere in your current mindset.”

He glanced to his wife, who sighed in resignation, and then glanced to Alma with a quiet nod. 

Toriel inclined her head slightly.

“If we are agreeing to this, then we will do our best to keep them safe,” she promised. “But with this many... “ she looked down for a moment, thinking. “Sans, Undyne and I, as well as the three Fusions, will spearhead the attack. Our goal will be to deal as much damage to our enemy as possible, and keep them off balance. Make it easier for the rest of you to go through with your search.

“Everyone else will split into groups, some from each side of the Rift. We will make our way through the complex. Our first priority is to get our people back, or at least information on where they might be. If Vigil’s ally can provide any information, then all the better.”

Dogaressa raised a paw.

“My Unit works best off each other,” she stated. “I would prefer for us not to be separated.”

Dogamy turned. “They would be best organized with our respective packs kept together,” he assured Toriel. 

“I think we can manage that,” Toriel agreed. “If that is acceptable to you, Dogaressa?”

“Perhaps,” the canine acquiesced, giving her husband’s counterpart a suspicious look for a moment. 

“Good,” Toriel looked about the room. “Are there any questions?”

Michael raised his hand. “Just one. We’ve figured out our plan, so…”

“When are we going?” Jeremiah asked simply.

“The sooner, the better,” Vigil stated. “But it is late already, and it may take some time to get ready. Not to mention to get there in the first place, it’s about an hour away from the city on foot. And given its location, it’s unlikely we will be able to get very far by vehicle.”

“Then we move in the morning,” Toriel’s voice was firm. “I want to be sure the children are safe before we go. We will meet up outside the city early morning, and Vigil will lead the way to the base.” Toriel turned her attention to Grillby and Muffet.

“One other thing, I would like to ask you to refrain from fusing until we are outside the city, so as to not draw as much attention to ourselves. And preferably, before Sans, Undyne and I reveal our own weapon. I would feel better knowing there is significant power in case something gets out of hand.”

“It would sound like there will be plenty of forest before that entry,” Grillby replied. “We can do it then.”

“Though we should be careful with our approach,” Muffet murmured. “Should we leave in smaller groups so as to not draw too much attention to ourselves?”

“A wise idea,” Asgore mentioned.

“I would like us to all meet up beforehand,” Toriel rubbed between her horns for a moment, “But… yes. That should work.”

“Then we should meet at Undyne’s home,” Neo suggested. “At the very least, those from our side of the rift will arrive unnoticed.” 

“Well then, if that is all settled,” Toriel closed her eyes for a moment, opening them before she continued. “There is much to do. I will see you all in the morning.”


	29. When Your Promises Collide

Behind her house, in the garden, Toriel stood in silence, surrounded by the life her husband had created, lit up by the dying light of the sun. Her head lowered, her long ears resting on her shoulders while she breathed. Steady. Even. Trying to disperse the turmoil within.

_You swore you would never take it up again._

She moved, the pads of her feet sinking into earth and grass. She reached out with an arm, pulling a bush to the side slightly to reveal the entrance to a cellar beneath her house. Two wooden planks, each adorned with a large metal ring, hinged into stone. Only Asgore knew, but the cellar had been the reason she had chosen this home.

_But you promised to protect your children._

She knelt down, tracing the old oak with a claw, a sad smile adorning her features. Then she pulled open the doors, revealing a stone stairway down into darkness.

_What do you do when your promises collide?_

Toriel took a deep breath, and lowered a foot onto the first step.

\---

_Toriel marched through the forest, her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she cast about the sun-dappled trees and vibrant green colors of spring. The heavy plate armor that covered all but her head creaked and clanked around her as she walked, the metal plates shifting around her to compensate for her movement._

_The small, golden crown adorning her head glittered in the sunlight, reflecting light onto the broad leaves of the trees around her. She rolled her shoulders, the scabbarded claymore she wore on her back scraping against her armor with the movement._

_“Nariel!” she finally called in exasperation, her voice echoing through the forest and causing a flock of birds to take flight in a flutter of wings. “Where are you? We were supposed to meet out here for your training! Could you at least **try** to take things seriously?”_

_There was a rustle and a sound that sounded suspiciously like a giggle from a group of trees not far to the Queen’s left that was more closely packed together than the rest. Toriel frowned and increased her pace, walking towards it and peering up into the branches for any sign of her quarry._

_“Nariel, this isn’t a game! I have another meeting before sundown, and I want to have this done first!”_

_“Always with the meetings,” a sweet, feminine voice called playfully from the trees. Toriel whipped about, but was unable to locate the source of the sound. “You can’t control everything, Tori.”_

_“Please don’t call me that, Nariel.”_

_“Oh?” the amused voice seemed to come from all around, and Toriel was kept turning in circles to try and locate the other. It wasn’t like she was small, how was she so good at hiding?_

_“Should I be calling you, ‘your majesty’ now then?” Nariel continued._

_“Maybe, if it would get you to take something seriously for once in your life!”_

_“Hmmm,” Nariel mused, and there was a brief flash of yellow eyes in a tree opposite where Toriel faced. “You tell me I don’t take things seriously, and yet,”_

_Toriel gave a startled gasp as a sudden weight descended on her, sending her crashing face-first onto the ground, and knocking the little crown off. The ornament rolled away until it came to rest in the grass only a few feet past the two._

_“I always get the drop on you,” Toriel’s sister finished triumphantly, pressing her knee into the small of the other Monster’s back to emphasize her point._

_Despite herself, Toriel couldn’t help a small smile at her younger sibling's antics._

_“Alright, alright, you win,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “Now can you please let me up?”_

_“Only if you promise to stop being a grumpy sour-puss,” Nariel informed her, not letting up on the Queen._

_“What do you mean?” Toriel asked, craning her neck around so she could sort of get a look up at the other Boss Monster._

_“I mean,” Nariel reached under her dull green robe and pulled out a crown of daisies, placed it on Toriel’s head around the horns, causing the Queen to stiffen in surprise. “I want sister Toriel back, at least for a little while.”_

_Toriel was quiet, and after a moment, Nariel stepped back, giving her sister the chance to stand. Toriel slowly rose to her feet, then took a moment to really look her sister._

_They were very similar in appearance. The main differences were their eye color, and the fact that Nariel was of a slimmer build than Toriel. Shorter too, the top of her head only just came up to the Queen’s chin._

_But Toriel was more focused on the glimmer of sadness in Nariel’s bright eyes. In her slumped shoulders and withdrawn posture. The Queen’s face morphed into an expression of regret._

_“Nari…”_

_Her sister looked away, but turned back with a soft gasp when Toriel put an armored hand on her shoulder. Then she closed her eyes as Toriel pressed their foreheads together._

_“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just been hard, with becoming Queen, and the tension with the clans and…”_

_Nariel wrapped her arms around the taller Monster in a hug, doing her best to ignore the uncomfortable feel of her sister’s armor._

_“I told you that Asgore was going to be trouble,” she murmured._

_Toriel pulled back, giving her an incredulous look._

_“Seriously? You were trying to get us together from the moment we met!”_

_“Shush,” Nariel bopped Toriel on the muzzle, giggling when she went cross-eyed for a moment. “Don’t confuse me with the facts!”_

_That tore a laugh from Toriel, who pushed her sister away playfully. “You are ridiculous!”_

_“Well, I have to make up for lost time,” she teased. “After you married Asgore, I’ve hardly seen you!”_

_“That’s because you spend too much time making eyes at Kerritar from the Dawn clan.” Toriel smiled._

_“Well, you got married!” Nariel huffed in mock frustration, crossing her arms and looking away. “I can’t help it if I want to start a family too!”_

_“Father would like that, wouldn’t he? He’s always wanted grandchildren.”_

_Nariel’s smile turned wicked. “Is that why I haven’t seen you so much?” she purred. “Have you and ‘Gorey’ been working on… fulfilling Father’s wishes?”_

_“Nari!” Toriel squealed, looking away to hide the blush that showed through her white fur. Nariel just laughed and sat down on the grass with a contented sigh._

_“Thanks, Tori,” she murmured after a moment. “I’ve missed this.”_

_“Me too,” the Queen agreed, smiling fondly down at her sister, then sitting down beside her.. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around as much.”_

_Nariel waved her off._

_“It’s fine. I know you have Queenly duties and all now, Miss Queen of the Dreemurrs,” the younger Boss Monster clenched at the grass surrounding her for a moment, her tone turning a little sad._

_“Just… don’t forget about me, okay?”_

_The Queen frowned at that, and reached out to take her sister’s hand._

_“Of course not.” She said firmly. “I would never forget you, Nari.”_

_They sat like that for some time, before Toriel finally sighed and rose._

_“I would love to stay like this, Nari, but we did come out here for a reason.”_

_The younger Boss Monster groaned, rubbing her face with a clawed hand and rising._

_“Do we really need to?” she asked._

_“Yes, Nari,” Toriel replied, once again adopting a serious tone. “I want to make sure you can protect yourself.”_

_Nariel shook her head slowly in disbelief._

_“You don’t really believe those rumours that the Humans will declare war on us… do you?”_

_“I don’t know, but you can’t deny tensions have been rising recently. At the very least, you should be prepared. If something does happen, I don’t want you to get hurt.” The taller Boss Monster gave her sister a pleading look. “Please, Nari.”_

_Her sister sighed, then relented. “Alright, show me.”_

_Toriel smiled at her success, then drew her weapon. The claymore was simple, no fancy etchings or decorations. She handed it to her sister who took it, frowning under it’s weight._

_“If a Human attacks you,” Toriel instructed. “You want to have something like this. You’ll have the best chance if you can use physical and magical attacks against them. It’s the best way to keep them off balance, and give you time to get away.”_

_Toriel concentrated for a moment, her left eye glowing with power, then she conjured a longsword made of white energy in her right hand. She nodded to her sister._

_“Go ahead, swing at me. See if you can get the hang of it.”_

_Nariel nodded, then swung the great weapon at her sister. They traded blows for a few moments, and Toriel had to say she was impressed. She wasn’t skilled, but for someone who’d never wielded a sword before, especially not like her claymore which was almost as tall as her sister in the first place, she seemed to be getting the general hang of it fairly quickly._

_Not enough to put her in a battle, but that wasn’t what Toriel was after anyways._

_“So, if we’re talking about getting attacked by Humans,” Nariel said, thrusting at her sister, who deflected the blow with the flat of her own sword. “What if it’s a Wizard?”_

_Toriel couldn’t help the shudder that ran through her at the very idea of that._

_“Run,” she said firmly, ducking out the way of another blow. “Humans are strong enough as it is. I only pray the Wizards stay out of any potential conflict.”_

_“Isn’t the head Wizard coming to speak with Asgore’s father tomorrow?”_

_“Yes,” Toriel confirmed. “Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out where the tension is coming from, and resolve it before it gets out of hand.”_

_Nariel opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly, there was a whistling sound and she stumbled forward with a cry of pain. Toriel was frozen for a moment, looking at her sister in shock and horror as realization dawned… that there was a broad arrowhead sprouting from her sister’s chest._

_There were sudden shouts and a group of Humans burst from the forest, yelling and brandishing swords and bows. Several of them took aim and let loose with their weapons. Toriel cried out in anger and threw up a wall of burning white fire, her left eye exploding with power at the release of her magic. But the wall was not quite fast enough, and a few more arrows zipped through, one bouncing off her armor and two more piercing Nariel who had fallen to her knees, the claymore still gripped in one hand._

_“Nariel!” Toriel rushed to her side, falling to her knees and immediately pouring healing magic into her, praying that her rudimentary healing skills would be enough. “Come on, I have to get you out of here!”_

_“Tori…” Nariel was trembling, raising her head to look her sister in the face, her yellow eyes filled with pain. “It hurts…”_

_“I know,” Toriel attempted to sooth, shoving down her rising panic as she saw the dust coating the arrowheads and heard the Humans moving around her magic. “But we don’t have much time, Nariel, please…”_

_Her voice trailed off as horror gripped her heart as her sister began crumbling away before her._

_“Nariel, no!”_

_“I’m sorry,” she whispered as her body came undone and her dust fell to the ground. A portion of it coated Toriel’s sword, which now lay on the grass._

_Toriel couldn’t believe it. They had just been talking, just been reconciling a few moments ago and now here she was… kneeling amidst her sister’s dust._

_But Toriel was not given time to grieve. The wall of magic she had set up suddenly collapsed out of existence, and the Humans were upon her. She roared in anger, grabbing her weapon and swinging it up to fight off the Humans, unleashing her magic to burn them and keep them at bay._

_But even with the power she now wielded as Jury, They were still Humans, and she was still badly outnumbered. A few blows found their mark on her body, and their desire for her death made her grimace in pain. She was momentarily protected by her anger, but that could only last for a few moments._

_She poured everything she had into an explosion of fire all around her, blinding and confusing the Humans and giving her a chance to run. Even as she ran, the archers still fired after her, arrows whipping past and embedding themselves into the tree._

_She didn’t know how long she ran, but eventually she had to to stop, collapsing at the base of an ancient oak and resting her back against its trunk. Tears filled her eyes and she clasped her sword to her chest as they began to run damp trails down her fur._

_“Nariel…”_

\---

Toriel stood at the bottom of the cellar, looking down at an oblong wooden box that sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by dust and cobwebs. She had to keep her head ducked slightly so that her horns didn’t scrape against the ceiling of this cramped stone room. 

After a moment, she knelt down, and pried the box open, staring at it’s contents. Just the sword, the weapon she’d used during the war, the one that had become her sister’s grave. 

They had never been able to go back and properly see to Nariel’s remains. So this had become all that was left of her sweet, fun-loving sister. The Boss Monster did not try to stop the tears that filled at the corners of her eyes at the familiar pain of loss. 

Gently, she reached into the unadorned box and pulled out the weapon.

“Nariel,” she spoke softly, hesitantly, one hand holding the hilt as she held it in front of her, as if she would be able to see Nariel’s reflection in the flat of the blade. 

“I never thought I would need to use you again,” she continued. “But… something has happened. My son… was taken from me.” Her free hand clenched into a fist. “We think we have found where he is. But we are going to need everything we have to get him back, and to keep our family safe. We have friends, allies, and the Humans are no longer like they used to be.”

Toriel sighed, rubbing at the space between her horns and lowering her head.

“I’m scared, Nariel. Even though everything seems in our favor, there is still so much that could go wrong. I don’t want to lose anyone to this. Not this time. That’s why…” she looked away for a moment.

“We have all three this time. Judge, Jury and Executioner. We intend to summon Judgement. With her on our side, everything should go to plan. But…” she returned her attention to the weapon. “It feels wrong to go into battle without you. I never intended to bring you into a fight again, but…”

Almost as if in response, The blade of the weapon glowed for a moment, then a thin layer of yellow flames covered the edges of the weapon. Toriel gave a grim smile in response.

“Alright then. Let’s go into battle one last time. Together.” She stood up again, her demeanor seeming to change, her stance strengthening and her eyes lighting with a fire long thought extinguished.

“It will be different this time.”


	30. Like You're Out to Kill

Rex dug their claws into the soft soil in Waterfall, glaring at the dummy in front of Undyne’s burned down home--the fire having long since died out. They lunged forward, and the Dummy veered to the side at the last second, its eyes narrowing. 

The reptile spun with great speed, jumping again with their still sheathed blade. The two practically danced in the area before the empty home. It wasn’t the first time the Dummy went up against the young Monster--as they had been filling in when Gerson was unable to help train.

Still, the dummy was paying sharp attention--realizing that there was...something off with the child as they attacked. On one hand--the Dummy didn’t remember having to move this fast to avoid getting hit--on the other...this felt wrong.

“Stop it, Stop it! STOP IT!” the Dummy suddenly barked just after Rex managed to bash them on the head.

The reptile jumped back, hiding the weapon away with a frown of confusion. “Yo, what gives?”

“You!” It hopped back and forth. “So violent, Violent! VIOLENT!” They shook their head angrily. “You’re different today.”

“So?” Rex asked. “I need to practice.”

The dummy’s eyes narrowed. “But what are you practicing for?”

“To fight--what else?”

The Mad Dummy shook their head. “I thought you were a defense type.”

“Yo, I am, but…” Rex stared down at the ground. “If I want Frisk back, I have to use force.”

“This isn’t like you.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes,” a new voice cut in. Rex turned in alarm to see Gerson at the entrance to the yard. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Rex turned, claws scraping the earth. “What does it even look like to you!?”

Gerson folded his arms. “Like you’re out to kill.”

Rex stiffened. “What…?”

The turtle slowly approached. “Rex, I know you’re mad. They’ve taken Frisk--but…”

“I have every right!” Rex snapped. “And what’s wrong with practicing? We’re going to be attacked--and we need to get past them--I’m not looking to kill, but I’m not going to end up on the ground needing to be rescued!”

“You might have every right to defend yourself,” the turtle agreed. “But you don’t have the right to go into battle like that.”

“But...but…” Rex started to fish around for a defense. “What about Undyne!?” they suddenly demanded.

“Urchin’s not perfect,” Gerson replied. “Neither am I--and just because we make mistakes doesn’t mean it’s okay to repeat them. I’m in the same boat as you, Rex. I’m not happy that Frisk was taken, and I’m angry as can be, but...I’m calming myself, steadying my stance. Just as you need to steady your blade.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Rex muttered in irritation. “What’s wrong with going in like this?”

“Foolish...foolish! FOOLISH!” Rex turned to look at the quivering dummy. “You go in like that, with blind rage, and blind thoughts, and you will lose! Your movements will be clumsy--your attacks will miss--you won’t dodge--you’ll die!”

“And they speak from experience,” Gerson assured. “You can’t go into a fray like that, for everyone’s sake.”

“Are you stopping me?” Rex growled, their body becoming tense.

“Not yet, I’m not,” Gerson replied, before stooping so that he was at Rex’s eye level. “However, you might end up forcing my hand. Rex. You need to calm yourself. You are immune to that weapon, child, and so I would very much like to have you along--but don’t think for a second that I won’t toss you to your sister if you don’t straighten up.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

Gerson sighed softly. “Relax. Remember, even right now, you’re Frisk’s defender. Not attacker. Clear your head. We won’t let you train otherwise.”

Mad Dummy nodded. “Violent head won’t get you anywhere.”

Rex huffed...and then flopped onto the ground, sitting there, and closing their eyes. They took deep breaths, trying to quell their anger...but it stubbornly stayed put. They groaned, and flopped back. “I can’t help it,” they muttered. “This is the second time--and they nearly blinded Frisk before!” their voice ended in a shout. 

“We know,” Gerson managed quietly.

“What if it’s worse this time?” the child demanded. “What if they take everything from Frisk and decide not to keep them--what if they kill them!? They’re on the other side of the Rift--what if that means…” They trailed off, but Gerson knew what they meant.

“We don’t know anything for certain,” Gerson carefully replied. “And they’re always full of surprises,” He knew the child was scared though, hiding it away on a harsh front of rage. “But…”

Rex lowered their head. “They got taken before...shame on them,” The child managed. “But then again--inside, while I was there...heh…” It was so quiet, that they almost didn’t hear it. “Shame on me,” was the quiet addition.

Gerson frowned. “Rex,” he managed. 

“I’ll calm down,” the child stated, quivering in agitation as they spoke.

“Good...just...if you’re still having trouble. Think about what Frisk would want.”

Rex sighed. “...Frisk would want everyone to come out alive.”

Gerson chuckled. “So don’t cut any throats out there, will you?”

“...right…”

The turtle shook his head. “Keep an eye on them?” he asked the Dummy.

They nodded. “Fine.”

“Good...look, Rex--we’ll talk about this a bit more in the future, but for now, calm your nerves. Frisk needs you to be level-headed.”

“I know, I know...I’ll...I’ll keep myself steady.”

At least, until they knew Frisk was safe. After that…

\----

“Oh, everyone, be careful!” Napstablook fretted as their native River Person brought them to the Snowdin station. 

“My, my,” the River Person mused. “So many little ones on my boat today~ Tra la la~”

The three pups scampered about the bottom of the boat, barking at the river and trying to get under the River Person’s robe. Though she moved her cloak about expertly, keeping them from getting too close. Papyrus had his hands full keeping an eye on them and keeping Rias in his hold.

Alexander was sitting on left side of the boat with his head in the water… where it had been for at least a few minutes.

“Ohhh!” Napstablook lowered down to check on Alexander. The little lizard’s hands were gripped to the sides of the boat, and bubbles rose to the surface occasionally, but he made no other movements other than a slight wiggling of his tail.

“Um...Alexander?” the ghost questioned. “Please look up.” 

There was a burbling sound, then Alexander’s head broke the surface, a wide smile on his face as he looked up at the ghost.

“Fishes?” he questioned.

“Oh...um...maybe?”

“Tra-la-la~ Sometimes, little one,” theRiver Person assured. 

Alexander squeaked in delight… and promptly stuck his head back under. Meanwhile, Garav had settled himself near Papyrus’s feet, watching in mild amusement as his siblings continued romping around the boat.

“Careful little ones,” the river person chided softly. “It would be a dreadful shame if you fell in. The water’s cold.” The boat had come to a complete stop at this point, the only movement it made was from the pups’ jumping about. 

“Ah, are we here already?” Papyrus asked in surprise. “Wowie! That didn’t take as long as I remember! Thank you, River Person!”

“With great pleasure, tra-la-la~ It brings great joy to have the likes of you on board again. Tra-la-la~”

“Well, the feeling is mutual!” Papyrus exclaimed, stepping off the boat and patting Garav on the head. “I look forward to the ride back!” he gestured to Alexander and the pups. 

“Come along, we have places to be! You’re going to have a lot of friends to play with very soon!”

The pups yipped and followed him immediately. It took another moment for Alexander to pull himself out of the water, but he eventually complied.

Napstablook smiled. “Right this way, we’re almost there!” With that, the ghost led them into the village--before abruptly pausing. They looked ahead to see a cream scaled Monster holding a bouquet with blue magic. Cera. She gently set it down between the inn and the shop, looking quietly up at the empty buildings.

Most of the children didn’t notice her, but Mischief glanced over to the reptile, then trotted away from the group and towards her, latching firmly onto the girl’s leg.

Cera jerked in surprise, before looking down quietly at the pup, silent for a bit. “You should get back inside,” she murmured softly. “Your parents will worry.” 

Papyrus, noticing suddenly that he was short a pup, looked around for a moment before spotting the missing little one.

“Ah-ha, very good, Mischief!” he called. “I see you’ve taken my lessons on hugging random strangers to heart! You have made excellent progress in the Way of Papyrus!”

“Uh-huh,” Mischief murmured happily, her tail wagging gently as she nuzzled the older girl’s leg.

Cera blinked in confusion, staring at Papyrus briefly, before putting things together. Slowly, the girl dipped her head, nuzzling the child in return. “...thank you.” 

Napstablook glanced over, and paused. “Oh...oh dear, we um...oh...we should get going…” 

Papyrus sighed and waved at Cera before calling Mischief over.

“Napstablook is right! We have many things still to do today! You do not want to miss out on all the fun, do you?”

Despite Papyrus’s calls, Mischief stayed as she was for a few moments, before almost reluctantly letting go and running back to her siblings.

With that, the ghost quickly headed off, leading them to one of the homes nestled behind the main road. There was a knock, and then a familiar: 

“Come on in!”

Napstablook opened the door, revealing Doggo holding Canis, and a German Shepherd playing with the other pups. It was uniquely marked with the traditional black on its back, but it had white and pale golds in its fur as well. It licked at a head, with Doggo turning. “Keller, be sure to play nice.”

Fiona looked up from where she sat on the far side of the room, cradling Rotisa closely, her light dim from fretting. 

“Hello, Doggo! Emerald! Pups!” Papyrus cried, stepping into the house and looking curiously about at the surroundings. “Wowie! It’s an entire party here! This is going to be the best sleepover ever!”

Fiona frowned in confusion, while Canis suddenly gasped, fussing in her Uncle’s hold. “Pappy! PAPPY!” she squealed in joy. 

Papyrus laughed, going to the pup while Alexander got to his feet and took a few awkward steps, his legs trembling as he surveyed this new domain. The other puppies were holding back, testing the air as they checked out their surroundings. 

“Hello, Canis!” Papyrus reached out with a hand to ruffle the space between her ears with the hand not holding Rias. “How are you today?”

The other puppies took a moment to glance at the new ones. Beowulf sat firm, though Keller dissuading his attention by licking at him, and then raised her head to look at the new ones, barking happily at them.

Canis nuzzled into Papyrus, melting at his touch. Her happy hum was her answer.

“Doggies!” Alexander cried, toppling forward with a thump and crawling towards the puppies as fast he could. Garav snorted at that, but Trouble and Mischief followed hesitantly after him.

Keller yipped and stood over Alexander, sniffing at him, and then licking at his head, before glancing over to the other pups with soft golden eyes, tilting her head in curiosity. 

Alexander gave a surprised squeak at the lick, then giggled, laying down all the way by Keller’s head.

“Who’re you?” Trouble asked, sitting down on his hindquarters and looking at Keller curiously. His sister was not content with merely asking though, and instead padded up to her, sniffing at the dog with an intense look on her face.

Keller laid down with a soft bark, before flopping onto her side, watching them without initiating anything. Dogmatix looked up. “That’s Keller!” he announced with a smile. “She helps Uncle Doggo get around cause he’s got weird eyes!”

“Ohhh,” Trouble realized, his eyes going big for a minute. “Like Aunty Barky!”

Mischief giggled, and snuggled into Keller’s stomach. 

“Softer though,” she murmured.

Keller looked up, and panted happily with another bark, allowing the other pups to clamber over her. “Just don’t pull on her tail,” Doggo warned. “Other than that, she’s pretty much okay with you.”

As the children made their way to the dog, barring the infants, Papyrus watched happily, before turning to Doggo. 

“You must be very excited, eh Doggo? We’re going to have so much fun while we’re waiting for the others to get back!”

Doggo’s ears twitched and he turned, frowning in confusion. “You’re...Papyrus, from the sounds of it. Hmm…” His eyes narrowed. “But yes, I haven’t had much time with my nieces and nephews for a while now…” 

“Well then! All the better to get more time in now!” The skeleton looked over to the fire elemental. “Emerald! I did not know you would be here! I suppose Grillby and Muffet left Rotisa in your care?”

“Um…” The elemental stared in confusion. “I’m...Fiona…?” 

Papyrus hesitated for a moment. 

“Oh… strange, I thought you were the counterpart for my friend who helps me run the bar.” He regained his composure. “Nevermind! Well, it is good to meet you, Fiona! I’m sure we’re going to have a great time here!”

Fiona nodded slowly, while Rotisa cooed, and reached up, grabbing at Fiona’s flickering flames. “It’s...nice to meet you as well…” she murmured softly. 

Papyrus frowned.

“Is everything alright?” he asked in concern. 

“I’m just worried,” she replied. “...the last time Uncle Grillby and Aunt Muffet left, they came back in sad shape…”

Doggo looked up. “They’re going in a bigger group, and are better prepared,” he reasoned. 

“And don’t worry!” Papyrus exclaimed. “My brother won’t let anyone get hurt! He’s very protective of his friends, I’m sure everyone will come back safe and sound! Just you wait and see!”

The husky grinned. “You can count on any Sans when it comes down to it, I’m sure.” 

“I rather they don’t go at all…” Fiona muttered. “We just got everyone back…” 

Papyrus made his way over to Fiona and patted her shoulder gently. 

“Believe me, I know how that feels. Sans… only came back a few days ago. And before that, he was gone for nearly three months with the Beasts from this side. But! It is his duty to go out and help our friends, just like it is our duty to stay back and keep the children safe! Between us all, everything will be back to normal very soon, Papyrus guaranteed!”

Fiona looked up, slowly nodding, while Canis squirmed herself free of her Uncle, scrambling across the room for the tall skeleton. “I...guess,” the elemental managed. Though she still didn’t like the idea. 

“Don’t worry, Fiona! Everyone is in good hands! Now, what say you help me make some food, hmm? I’m sure the children will be hungry after the long trip here!”

“Um, sure...uh…”

“We’ve got a bed for those little ones,” Doggo offered. “Was the original pup basket for the litter.”

“Uncle!” Dogtanian complained, going red beneath her fur as she glared at him. “Don’t have to say that!” she protested as Canis flopped onto Papyrus’s foot, clinging to his leg. 

Papyrus looked over to Keller, where Mischief and Trouble were curled up. Garav had taken in interest in the dog’s ears though, it seemed, and was batting at them with intense concentration. Keller, thankfully, didn’t seem to mind, and just laid there in the swarm of pups.

“That is good to know!”Papyrus exclaimed, rising. However, before he could say more, Rias began crying in his hold. The skeleton looked down at her in concern, stroking her head in an attempt to quiet the soft cries. 

Rias was not loud, but Papyrus’s ministration did not settle her either. 

“What is it, little one?” Papyrus asked softly, carefully cradling the infant against his t-shirt. “What is it you need from the great Papyrus, hmmm?”

Canis looked up, tilting her head. “Hungry? Sleepy?” she guessed as Rotisa began to fuss. 

“Hmmm…” Papyrus concentrated on the infant for a moment, narrowing his sockets. Then his expression cleared.

“Ah! You were right, Canis, she’s hungry! Fortunately, the great Papyrus has the solution!”

The skeleton waggled his fingers and a small tendril of pure magical energy appeared at his fingertips. With a small gesture, he sent the a tendril of the magic towards the infant.

As the magic got within Rias’s reach, she quietened, looking up to the ethereal projection with her big green eyes. After a moment, she raised her arms as best she could, trying to reach for the magic.

Papyrus chuckled fondly, then sent the magic closer to her, stopping the flow just in front of her face. Rias latched onto the magic clumsily, then began suckling on it quietly, her eyes lidded and all her concentration seeming to be on her meal.

Fiona perked in surprise, tilting her head as her fire flickered in confusion. Canis, however, was the first to voice her thoughts. “What was that?”

“Hmmm?” Papyrus looked down at the pup. “Little Rias was hungry, so I fed her! That should be enough magic to keep her warm and satisfied for some time now!”

“...she can eat that?” 

“Well, of course!” Papyrus adjusted his hold on the baby in his grasp before continuing. “She’s too young to eat proper food, so the wonders of pasta will have to wait for this little one. But! Until then, she must be fed with pure magic to sustain her! She can’t go around not eating _anything_ , now can she?”

“But…” Canis mumbled, frowning in confusion. 

“I...think we work a little differently,” Fiona started. 

Papyrus looked curiously over to the fire elemental. “Really? What do you mean?”

“Elementals like myself can survive by being given anything burnable--or with our parents supplying some of their flames to us when we don’t know how to do that. The pups would have survived on milk--actually, most non-elemental Monsters seem to rely on that.”

Papyrus seemed taken aback. 

“Really? Wowie, it sounds like Monsters here work like Humans! Where do you get the milk though?”

“Mama has it,” Canis supplied. 

“Well, that is very strange!” Papyrus mused, while Rias finished her meal and promptly fell asleep. “I wonder what other things are different for us?”

“Sounds like a lot,” Fiona replied, while Napstablook flew over. 

“Um…” the ghost started. “If you want to cook...I...I can manage Rias and Rotisa...maybe? Um...oh no, maybe not, I’m sorry…” 

“Why, that sounds like a lovely idea!” Papyrus promptly handed Rias to the ghost. “I’m sure you will do a wonderful job looking out for them! Rias will probably be sleeping for some time, so you don’t even need to worry about her too much!”

“Oh…” Instantly, the child was drawn close to the ghost as they held her in their magic. Then, they quietly smiled. “...this is nice,” they murmured.

Rias wiggled a little at being passed around, but she didn’t open her eyes. She yawned widely and turned a little, snuggling into the ghost.

“Oh…” Napstablook started to fade a little. “Ohhhhhh….nooooo...” Fiona stifled a giggle at the sight. 

“Look!” Papyrus exclaimed happily. “She likes you already! I knew you wouldn’t have any trouble!” He turned to the elemental. 

“Now, Fiona, would you be so kind as to lead me to the kitchen? We shall make a meal the likes of which these children have never seen!”

Fiona nodded while Blooky came over, taking the other into their magic. Rotisa gave a quiet gasp, blinking her eyes in awe at the ghost, before smiling and giggling quietly at them. Fiona’s gaze softened, and then she stood. “It’s over this way…”


	31. Judgement

It was dark in the small garage next to Asgore and Toriel’s house. Night had fallen, and the only source of light was the glow emanating from the red soul within it. 

Chara hovered at the back, past the cluttered tools, past the pots of flowers and other plants that thrived the the shade. Past the family van, parked near the front.

She rested a hand on her old motorcycle, wishing she could properly feel it’s comforting presence. Still, it was good to see it was still here. Her chariot seemed to still be in working order, even if it was a bit dusty. Once she had a body again, she’d have to take another ride on it with-

Kid. She shuddered, her form dimming drastically. What was she going to do about him? He wanted to… he was going to… She lowered her ethereal head into her hands and began to cry softly.

What happened to him? But she knew the answer to that, didn’t she? She happened. She left him alone, thinking he’d lost her forever. How could-

“Hey.”

The sound of his voice startled her, and she looked around to see Kid standing a short distance away. He’d dispelled the interface on his visor, and was looking at her questioningly with those beautiful brown eyes, his head tilted slightly to the side.

“Yo, Chara.” He took a few steps closer to her. “Are you okay?”

Chara turned away, unable to look at him. She shook her head slowly, but remained silent.

“Is this about getting your brother back?” Kid’s voice was closer, and she could feel his presence behind her. “Don’t worry, there’s no way those Humans can keep him from us. We’ll get him back safe, just wait and see.”

He was being confident for her. Trying to help her feel better. And it _hurt_.

“That’s not it,” she managed, her voice barely audible. 

“Then what is it? I can-”

“It’s you, Kid.”

She still didn’t look at him. She didn’t need to, she could perfectly visualize the shocked and pained expression that must be growing on his face right now. The ghostlike girl trembled, the feelings in her soul tearing her apart.

“W… what?” Kid asked, the hurt in his voice nearly sending Chara over the edge.

“You’re scaring me,” she whispered, pulling herself into a ball and hugging her knees. 

“What… what do you mean?” 

“You’re not like this!” the girl cried. “You don’t want to hurt people! You’re not supposed to… volunteer to join up to help us kill people!”

“But… but they hurt you! And they took your brother and little Frisk! I want to help! Didn’t you want to go along anyways?”

“Yeah, but… you’re not supposed to be like me!” Chara shouted. “ _I’m_ the one who’s supposed to keep _you_ safe! I don’t… I don’t want you to be like me.” Her voice trailed into a mumble.

“Chara, I… I don’t-”

“Kid…” The red soul finally looked over at him, her soul wrenching at the confused and agonized look on his face, and the tears trailing down his face. 

“You know they plan to kill everyone there.” her voice quivered, but she had to ask. “Do you… want to kill… too?”

Kid flinched, and looked away. It was the only answer Chara needed. 

“What happened to you?” Chara asked, her voice quiet and wavering. “What happened to the sweet, innocent boy I fell in love with?”

“You died, Chara.” Kid looked back at the red soul, breathing shakily as he searched for his words. “I thought… I thought I was gonna have to live the rest of my life without you. Without that love.” His claws scraped against the floor as he clenched his feet. 

“And now, those same guys that kept you from me are here. After what they did to you, I… I don’t want them to ever be able to do that again.”

“This isn’t what I wanted for you, Kid,” Chara looked down again, and was quiet for a moment. “You know what I’ve done. I’m a killer. I don’t want… you to be too.”

“I’m sorry…” there was a long, drawn-out sigh from Kid. “I guess… We’re both kind of broken, aren’t we?”

Chara nodded, but didn’t look up.

“But maybe…” Kid continued slowly. “We can be broken… together?”

The soul finally looked into Kid’s eyes. So many emotions lay bared to her there, but the one that caught her attention the most was fear. Suddenly, she realized what he thought she was saying.

“Kid, I… I still love you. I just… I didn’t think it would be like this.”

There was a relieved sigh from the reptile, who then came up close, just within arms reach of the girl.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. Then he hesitated for a moment. “If… if you want… we don’t have to go. We can go and help take care of the kids with Papyrus instead…”

Chara gave a little sigh and moved close to him, wishing she could properly hug him, but not daring in case something went wrong. She still wasn’t sure exactly how absorption worked. 

“No… you’re right,” she whispered. “We need everything we can to get everyone back safely. Just… there’ll be lots of powerful people there. Promise me we won’t kill… unless we have to?”

“Yo, I promise,” Kid replied gratefully. “We can focus on finding your brother instead! Anyways, someone’s gonna need to bring them out safely once we find them, and we get those cool wings when we fuse…”

Chara looked at him skeptically. 

“You think we’ll be able to fly with them?”

Kid shrugged.

“I dunno, but you know how to fly, right? We can probably figure something out.”

“Okay…” Chara mumbled, reaching out and grazing the locket she’d given him with an incorporeal finger. Kid smiled sadly down at her.

“Yo… you think you’re okay now?”

After a moment’s hesitance, Chara nodded. 

“I’ll be fine. We can do this. Together.”

 

Grillby paused as he exited Muffet’s kitchen with dinner as the spider quietly paced behind the couch. Chara fidgeted in their seat, and Alma stared aimlessly at a piece of colorless paper. Cupcake looked between them all, and gave a quiet rumble of worry. Grillby sighed, setting the food down, his flames dimming as he came forward, and then grabbed his wife.

She gave a little gasp as he scooped her up, and pressed his head against hers. “You need to relax,” he practically purred. 

“How can I relax?” she protested. 

Grillby managed a chuckle as he took a seat on the couch. “You’re not in a battle at the moment, Dear. You can relax a little,” he assured, pressing close, and coaxing her to turn her head, stealing a kiss--causing the two ghosts to hide away from their affections.

He smiled as he drew back. “That’s better,” he stated.

“I still don’t like this plan...I’m going to be worrying about Rotisa…”

“Doggo, Fiona, Napstablook and Papyrus will be watching out for her though,” he reasoned. “She’ll be perfectly safe.”

“She’s not the only child I’m worried about,” she muttered.

“I know,” Grillby replied. “I’m not a hundred percent for this idea...but...the fusions are our best chance against Humans.”

“But why does it have to be them!?” she demanded.

“Because we’ve bonded with them.”

“Why did they have to think it up!?”

“Because we encourage them to be clever.”

“WHY!?”

Grillby chuckled, and rested his head on top of hers. “Because that’s what we do,” he murmured. “This is the course we’ve set, and we shall stay with it.”

She sighed, and then slowly nodded, while the ghosts slowly popped up.

“Sorry…” Chara mumbled. “We don’t have to…”

Grillby looked up. “You made a fair point, however…” He removed his glasses, revealing his pale embers. “That outburst was uncalled for and your methods over the top. You did not have to be so...how to put it…”

“...I just wanted you to listen,” the ghost muttered. “I don’t want to lose you…”

“And we understand and appreciate those concerns,” he assured. “But…”

“It goes both ways, Dearie,” Muffet managed. “We lost you two once already--I don’t want to do that again.”

“We’re going to win this one,” Chara assured. “We’ll make it…”

“Chara,” Grillby stated firmly. “Do understand that by coming, you are to follow us--do not let your anger overpower our fusion, and...you do understand you and Alma are still in serious trouble when we get back?”

Alma poked their head into sight. “...aren’t we still grounded from when we first got back?”

“Watch me ground you twice,” Muffet grumbled.

“The best part is that she’ll actually do it,” Grillby chuckled, laughing outright as Muffet half-heartedly slapped his shoulder.

Chara quietly nodded. “I’ll...calm myself for it…”

“Good,” Grillby replied. “We just want to be careful…”

“We promise, Daddy,” Alma assured.

Muffet huffed, looking to Alma, and then went limp in Grillby’s hold. “Our little Almond doesn’t play fair.”

“You just need to resist their puppy face.”

Alma smiled timidly...and a faint little giggle escaped--a short moment of eased tension, before the upcoming battle arose. 

 

Morning came, though to some Monsters, the rising of the sun did not carry the same joy as it usually did. The prospect of battle deterred happy thoughts.

On both sides of the Rift, breakfast was eaten and preparations were made. Parents checked on children and were assured by Papyrus that all would be well. Then… it was time. 

Muffet and Grillby led their people through the Rift and into Alphys’s home. They were met by both her and Undyne, already dressed for combat. After a quick discussion, they began leaving the house in small groups, each going a different direction, but with the same destination in mind.

It was just under an hour later as the last of the groups arrived to a small clearing just within the boundaries of the forest that had been agreed upon for the meeting spot. Any of Toriel’s people that had not met up with them along the way were already here, watching the last stragglers file in.

“I think that’s everyone,” Sans murmured, leaning against the trunk of an oak, and watching the rest of the gathered Monsters and Humans, who spoke quietly among themselves.

Grillby nodded, surveying the crowd to spot the Monsters and Humans from his side, while Chara and Alma poked out beside him and Muffet. “I think you’re right,” he assured, his gaze momentarily landing on Rex, who was standing beside Gerson, and then to the Humans, where Michael was talking with soft concern to a slightly weary Jeremiah.

Toriel stood from where she had been seated on the grass. She pulled her scabbarded weapon off her back, laying it gently on the ground before turning towards the group while her daughter hovering nervously behind her. She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

“All right. Do we all know the plan?”

There were murmurs and nods of agreement from the group as they all took their gazes to her. 

“Very well.” Toriel gazed around the group, letting her eyes rest on every individual before she continued. “We will go together to their base. We will keep spread out to avoid unnecessary attention, but stay within earshot at least. If they have countermeasures prepared, I want us all to be able to come down on that at once. To that end…

“Those of you who are planning fusions, please do so.”

Muffet looked to Grillby, raising up on tiptoes to remove his glasses. “Be careful this time,” she murmured. 

“I’ll certainly try,” Grillby assured as Chara grumbled at the reminder. Then, Muffet stepped back as he took the Human soul in--his eyes closing as his flames grew, lapping over his attire, until there was nothing but fire consuming the form. The flames slowly altered, changing from their bright orange and red to vibrant blues--and then to white. An orange bow tie of flames formed, along with the silhouette of a tailcoat.

He adjusted his stance, a jack-o-lantern grin forming before he opened crimson red eyes. Muffet stared at his form, and then went to offer his glasses--before stopping and looking at the lens. The fusion looked down, picking them up, and putting them on. Despite the glasses being kept in her care--the one lens was broken once more, keeping one of the eyes fully revealed. 

“Dang, Grillbz.” Sans studied the white-flamed elemental for a moment, while his friends murmured in awe at the sight. Then his fixed grin seemed to widen. “Remind me not to start up another tab with you.”

There was a low chuckle. “Then do me a favor, and remind your counterpart I’m still waiting for his payments.”

“Heh. Soon as we get ‘em back, buddy.”

The elemental nodded, his flames moving erratically for a moment, before his smile softened as he looked down at the spider. “Are you ready?”

Muffet nodded, and then turned, drawing Alma to her, but not summoning their soul just yet. “Well, Dearie?” The dim ghost looked up, and then nodded firmly. The spider smiled sadly, having never seen them so determined before. “Then let’s go.” She drew the soul to her, and then drew all her arms around herself as the changes began. 

She staggered, her little bow ties vanishing, her hair falling down as it grew longer. Silk began to appear upon her, draping her form, weaving itself into her new attire as she grew in height--eyes shut tight. The strands of thread started to change to a dark maroon, as her shawl and skirt formed, though the coloring continued down her arms and legs.

An odd five gemmed tiara formed upon her head, a veil of threads falling down to partially cover her face while a strange white silk draped from her lower back, to nearly touching the ground. The fusion caught her balance, spreading her arms out to fully steady herself--revealing the threads draping from each limb--and as Grillby stepped close, it was clear to see that she was nearly two heads taller than before.

“Dear…?” Grillby asked in concern.

The spider looked up, opening five red eyes. “I’m fine,” she assured. 

“I never thought I’d see a Monster and a Human fusing,” Vigil mentioned, watching the couple closely. “Is it… painful?”

The two shook their heads. “It’s disorienting, if nothing else,” Muffet replied. “It’s...strange, but I can’t say it’s painful.” 

“I see.”

Kid stood up straight, looking nervously around before taking a deep breath.

“Well… I guess it’s our turn, huh?”

“... are you sure about this, Kid?” his girlfriend asked softly, fidgeting nervously while she waited for his response.

“Yeah.”

“Okay then.”

Chara came in close, wrapping him in the hug she’d been wanting to give him for days now, and moments later, she sank into his body. Once again he began to grow, his scales darkening, his muzzle lengthening and his claws broadening. 

There was a quiet gasp from Alphys as the spikes erupted from his back and the wings burst from his shoulders. His visor and shirt were both gone, leaving jet black pants and the chains wrapping around his torso. After a moment, his eyes opened, red orbs on a backdrop of black. He shuddered, then straightened, flapping his wings for balance and lashing his tail about as he tried to acclimatize to the sensation of his new form.

Rex looked at them, staring wide eyed at them in dead silence for several extremely long moments. They opened their mouth several times wordlessly, before finally getting something out. “Oh wow--Yo, you look so cool!” they exclaimed. “You’ve got wings and everything and--”

“Gush later,” Gerson reminded as he brought a hand down on the child. 

Kid looked down at his little counterpart with a smile, then turned his attention back to Toriel.

“So…” This time he was prepared for how deep and gravelly his voice was now and didn’t flinch at it. “I guess we’re ready then, huh?”

“Not quite yet,” Toriel replied. There are a few more things.” She kept her attention on the three fusions. “When we are there, be careful. We want to take out their people, but keep the damage of the place to a minimum for now. Our Mettaton has told me we need to send him any information Overwatch or Reaper’s Harvest may have. This is not just about defeating them here, this about finishing them once and for all.

“So keep your eyes open for our people, and anything else you can find. Once we have what we need however…” her left eye began to glow in anger. “I don’t want to see a single building left standing.” 

Gerson gave a snort. “I’d hammer at the foundations with you, don’t need to worry about us on that one,” he assured. 

“Good. Then there is one more thing.” She nodded to Sans and Undyne who came to stand next to her. “I don’t want to take any chances with this. I don’t want to lose anyone, or fail to get our people back. To that end, the three of us will be… invoking an ancient magic.

“Tori?” Asgore asked worriedly. His wife gave him a smile in response.

“It should be fine, dear. I would not have learned it if it were harmful. However…” she looked back at the fusions. “I do not have all the specifics on this magic. In case there are… complications, I would appreciate it if you were ready to help keep it restrained.”

“ _That’s_ encouraging,” Sans muttered under his breath.

Grillby and Muffet looked at each other in mild confusion, but then nodded. “We’ll do what we can,” Grillby assured as his flames crackled, growing around his hands at the warning of possible combat. 

“Very good.” Toriel turned to the other two. “Then, let us begin.”

“Hell yeah!” Undyne enthused. “This is gonna be awesome!”

“J-just be careful…” Alphys murmured worriedly from inside her exosuit, the pink glow of her visor fading as she looked at her wife worriedly. 

“It’ll be fine Alph,” Undyne promised with a grin. “Just you wait.”

The three took place, standing in a triangle formation so they were all facing each other. 

“Undyne, please activate your Undying form,” Toriel stated. 

“Huh? Oh yeah, right.” The fish-warrior concentrated, and a moment later, her own transformation was complete. “There we go.”

Toriel made the first move, reaching out her left arm so her hand was stretched out between the three. Then Sans covered her hand with his, with Undyne’s finally coming to rest on top. Then, they began chanting in unison.

_Three together make a pact._  
All as one, we shall act  
Our will is strong, our cause is true.  
Once divided, now made new.

As the sound of the last syllable faded, a bright, white glow began to emanate from their joined hands. It rapidly grew bigger and bigger until it was a pillar of light, completely obscuring them from view.

Everyone took cautious steps back, eyes wide, with the fusions being the only ones to firmly hold their ground, watching warily. 

Finally, the light faded, and Sans, Toriel and Undyne were all gone. In their place was… something else. 

The figure was kneeling, facing the group, head bowed so that it was hard to see the face. They looked like Toriel, but even in this position they seemed bigger than she had been. They were covered in Undyne’s Undying armour, only their head remaining bare. Between their horns grew thick red hair like Undyne’s that flowed down the back of their head. 

From their back had sprouted two long, skeletal arms that reached up above the head and hung there like the claws of a giant praying mantis. Two more came from their sides, just below the arms. These ones seemed limp, hanging down to the ground, boney fingers brushing against the grass. 

The face was veiled in shadow, but suddenly, a teal light shone from the middle of their forehead. It took the onlookers a moment to realize that it had been the opening of an eye in the center of the forehead, not unlike Muffet’s topmost eye. The light was the same color Undyne’s bad eye glowed in her Undying form.

And then the being spoke.

“Fish Monster. Hybrid. Powerful magic detection and conjuration bases. Strong, if disrupted Determination flow. The Executioner.”

The being’s voice was deep, yet feminine, and the power in her voice almost had physical presence. Her right eye opened, this one shining bright white light, and the being seemed to hesitate for a moment.

“Boss Monster? Dreemurr Clan? Strange… there has never been a Boss Monster before…” she shook her head slowly and resumed. “Fire magic base, multiple combat configurations. Powerful healing magic as well. The Jury.”

Her final eye opened, the left one, glowing bright blue. Then all three eyes narrowed in apparent confusion.

“This… what is this? Skeleton Monster… no. Half Monster. Half… something else. I have never felt anything like this before. Powerful magic… _very_ powerful magic. Too powerful. Weak life-force to compensate. Many applications outside of combat. The Judge. I see…”

All three eyes blinked, then;

“This may be the most powerful form I have ever been granted. Now then…”

The being slowly stood, and the difference in her height was made fully apparent, as she towered even over Asgore. A long, thin skeletal tail was also revealed in the motion as it curled around her feet.

She surveyed the group before her, then asked in an authoritative voice;

“I am Judgement. Why have I been summoned?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Throne's internet explodes into a ball of flames.
> 
> *Le PetalThorn slides in with the chapter--while possibly being on fire.
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO ART OF JUDGEMENT: 
> 
> Best version: http://sta.sh/01lyn01axfbb
> 
> My(Petal still speaking) very messy concept stuff. owo
> 
> http://sta.sh/22fhh0oi45vp?edit=1


	32. Infiltrator

The group was taken by surprise, and soon, gazes were turned to one another. Soft mutters of confusion and amazement were heard as they all looked for someone who should talk to the being that stood before them...and with that, all of them looked to Asgore.

The former king was not aware that he was now the focus of attention, he was staring at the fusion with an expression of shock on his face.

"T...Tori?" he managed.

Judgement looked down on him in sympathy.

"This is… one of the ones who fuelled me?" she asked quietly. "I am sorry, no."

"Is… is she okay?" Asgore asked, one fist clenching tight and fear in his eyes as he looked up at the being.

"She will be fine," Judgement rumbled soothingly. "They all will be. I am given to understand that the first fusion is… tiring on the Three. They will wake up eventually."

Grillby looked to Asgore. "It might be what our Frisk deals with when the others exhaust themselves," he managed.

"But you have not yet answered my question." Judgement locked eyes on the former king, who took a small step backwards at her intense stare. "Why have you summoned me?"

"I…" Asgore began. "I suppose it was because…" He took a moment to breathe and calm himself, and when he resumed speaking, his voice was less shaky.

"Some of our people have been captured… taken to a Human stronghold. We are going to get them back, and I suppose it was decided that… we need your help."

"Attacking the Humans?" Judgement questioned. "Have things really deteriorated that much?"

Asgore chewed on his lip in thought and looked up to Judgement.

"When was the last time you were summoned?" he asked quietly.

Judgement narrowed her eyes in thought.

"I remember Queen Caedwyn and King Naralas were expecting a child…" she said slowly. "A son, if I remember correctly."

Asgore closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"That was more than a thousand years ago, Judgement."

The fusion stood stock-still at that for a moment, before letting out a weary sigh.

"I suppose there will be much to catch up on. But before you tell me, I must inform you of my conditions."

"Conditions?" Asgore inquired.

"I only come into existence when this fusion happens," Judgement explained. "And it is not uncommon for long periods of time to go by in between fusions. As you have seen. Therefore, I will ask this. I will help you in this rescue. But when it is over, I ask for a day."

"A… day?" Asgore asked, confused.

Judgement nodded in response.

"All I want is an entire day, to go out. To see what there is to be seen. To live. Afterwards, the souls within me can return to their lives. I believe that is more than fair."

Asgore nodded slowly. "I do not see why that would be an issue…"

"Very good then. I believe we can discuss the specifics of what we are doing on the way?"

Grillby stepped forward, finally deciding to speak. "I believe we can fill you in fully on the situation." He turned to Vigil. "We still have a little while to go, do we not?"

"That is true," Vigil acknowledged. "It will take another hour or so before we reach the base. Better to move swiftly and not waste time."

"I believe that gives us adequate time to give out the general situation, and our plan as it stands," the elemental assured, his visible eye skimming swiftly over the others.

"Wait." Asgore hurried over to where Toriel had made her seat before, then came back with her scabbarded claymore. "Toriel brought this along… I believe she meant it for you."

The former king presented the weapon to Judgement who took it, and drew the weapon. Almost instantly, it coated itself in flames, as if it had been waiting for her touch.

"You have a sad history, do you not?" Judgement murmured, running her armored hand along the flat of the blade. "Do not worry, you will be safe in my hands." Her gaze flicked to Asgore and she gave him a small nod.

"Thank you. This seems… right."

Asgore nodded hesitantly.

"I… suppose we should head out then."

Judgement inclined her head at him.

"Lead on, please."

 

Blue eyes darted around as the man went down the halls. Every move was made with baited breath, as if expecting others to see through him. To see that he was leaning toward the enemy. If it was only death he had to fear, than this wouldn't be an issue...but he knew that Reaper's Harvest could do far worse.

His eyes suddenly halted their wandering, and he frowned, swearing he heard the click of a door. He turned to a little hall, noting a closet. ...something wasn't right. Fingers twitched as he crept to the entrance, before pressing an ear to it. He heard…

"-none have found me yet. I have yet to find any traces of them however. If they are truly as you say, I should have detected their magic signature by now." There was a pause, as if the speaker was waiting for a response, then;

"I will continue my search. If I find them, you will be the first to know, Vigil."

The Blue Eye paused, realizing what he was hearing. They had an intruder, and yet...it was honestly a relief. But now he had to weigh his options. He stepped back slowly, knowing that the conversation was being wrapped up, and he'd have to think fast.

"Understood." There was a clicking sound, then a sigh, and the doorknob began to turn.

By that point, Blue had retreated to the main hallway, waiting for the opportunity to grab the intruder-and not immediately be attacked.

The door opened, and a non-descript man with light blonde hair and brown eyes stepped out, turning and making his way down the hallway opposite Blue.

"Hey!" the blue eye called out, racing up to him. "Can I borrow your aid for a moment? Reaper's Harvest has me running in five directions on top of tending to the 'guests'. Could use an extra hand about now."

The man turned swiftly, and smiled at the blue eye for a moment.

"Anything for Reaper's Harvest," he said smoothly. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Come with me," the blue eye replied, motioning the way, and at first, was quiet, his eyes darting around, until they were in an empty hall. He slowed his pace slightly, and continued to speak. "I'm supposed to prepare the magic users for another draining so that they can't use their magic," he explained. It was a lie… but one that would give the intruder information he needed.

The man nodded solemnly.

"That makes sense… it must be more difficult to hold prisoners where you come from, if they can use magic to try and escape."

"That's what draining is for, but it does provide issues. If they were to escape, we'd have a harder time detecting them. Lack of magic and all. Not that I think they can get far, with three children and one adult."

"Three children?" the infiltrator asked in surprise. "There were more?"

The blue eye turned. "Indeed. They took the daughter of a...politician I believe." His gaze narrowed, the energy sparking. "To make sure they have him bending to their will. They say they'll give her back when it's all said and done...but I'm sure they're stringing the man along."

"Is she from… your world, then?"

"Yours," the blue eye stated firmly. "What was the father's name-Jacob I believe. Young little thing, probably around the boy's age. Though they wouldn't know she's here. She's kept elsewhere for whatever reason."

"There must be some kind of reason," the other man murmured. "All part of the glorious plan, right?"

"Well if the glorious plan includes tormenting the prisoners," he muttered. "I know they're using the boy to see if he can handle our magic in his body. That's the general gist, isn't it for your Overwatch? Reclaiming magic?"

"Yes. To reclaim our power, and drive the Monsters back to where they belong. The boy is… a special case, if I remember correctly? I remember someone mentioning him before."

"Heck if I know, I only catch bits and pieces. Something about 'hosting magic before' and 'Monsters taking it'. Big fuss about…" He fell silent as he noticed another group of Humans approaching, and remained silent until it was just them again.

The other man narrowed his eyes in thought, his mind racing at the implications of this man's actions, but he stayed quiet.

"They're really rushing it though," the blue eye continued quietly, leading him closer to where the prisoners were-wanting him to know the location. "We've had them for a short while-sending me in five directions-this is something to be careful about, wouldn't you think? We wouldn't want your Humans to suffer from a potential overdose of magic. Forcing things against its nature can bring up an ugly price to pay."

"That… is true. Still, has our hand not been forced? We're on high alert, and if Vigil was sighted here…"

"Even beforehand, our pace has been...erratic with this, in my opinion. Not like I'm the scientist here."

"You don't approve?" the man's voice lowered a little, his lips barely moving as he asked the question. He still seemed on high alert, and yet...

"Heh, let's see...sure we've been here for nearly a year, but…'let's inject the magic of another dimension into a Human boy and see what happens'. That's not research."

"Has he been faring poorly under the treatment then?"

"He's...in pain," the blue eye murmured softly. "They're getting the reactions they want-but they're putting far too much into him for the sake of seeing how much he can take before his body gives out."

"Why are you telling me this?" the blonde man kept his eyes averted from the blue-eye as he asked the soft question.

"...because you need to know. And the sooner you do, the better if I gather right."

"You do not sound too fond of your organization." the blonde man stated, fishing for more information. "Why?"

"I could give you a long ramble, or I can give you the short and sweet answer." He turned. "I don't want to owe my life to people who play with it-and everyone else's. Sadly, hands are tired. But you…" He glanced around. "You're quite free now, aren't you?"

"And why, exactly, should I trust you?"

"If I was not your friend, I would have quietly left and found backup to deal with you," the blue eye stated. "But if that's not enough…" He stopped by a door, and made a gesture. "I'm not sure how well you are at detecting magic-especially when they're drained, but you might be able to pick up something from here."

He shrugged. "Not asking you to trust me. I just wanted you to hear the information you needed."

The man threw him a glance, then looked through the door, noting that it led to stairs going down. He concentrated for a moment, then shrugged.

"If I can sense them, then they're so like the others I cannot tell."

"I'd say see for yourself, but nothing like a dark suspicious stairwell to gain trust. The boy, the Ambassador and the older Human are kept there all cooped together."

"What of the girl?" the infiltrator asked after a moment.

"Somewhere in the main complex. Safe from what I gather…"

"You know…" the blonde murmured. "It would be safest for me to kill you now."

"Probably," Blue agreed.

The blonde shook his head slowly.

"Can you get me into the holding cells?" he asked.

"I certainly can," was the reply. "It shouldn't raise any suspicion…"

"Then show me where they are," the spy stepped out of the way of the stairwell. "From the sounds of it, there isn't much time."

The blue eye nodded quietly, the orbs of blue dimming. He had given the truth-what this infiltrator did now, no longer mattered. Whether he was spared or murdered without another sound…

Silently, he started to lead the way down.

 

There had been mostly silence among the group of Monsters and Humans as they made their way towards the Overwatch base. All of them had something to focus on, after all.

Judgement had been at the forefront, carrying the huge claymore in one hand when suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

Grillby was the first to react, turning his white flamed head, a crimson orb narrowing with concern. "Judgement?"

The fusion raised an armored hand, while the skeletal limbs twitched slightly.

"They're awake."

"The… other souls?" Asgore asked hopefully, coming up behind Judgement, who nodded.

"Yes. Give us a moment, there is some confusion, currently."

Muffet approached as well, but neither fusion said anything yet, knowing they should let the others sort out the confusion first.

The others began to cluster around them. Then, all three of Judgement's eyes flared and suddenly, surrounding the fusion were three ghostly images, one for each of the Monsters making up Judgement.

Undyne stared at Judgement in awe.

"Whoa! So _that's_ what we look like? Alphys, are you seeing this?! This is the coolest thing ever!"

"I'm just wondering where that tail came from," Sans mused to himself, eyeing the fusion up and down.

"I must admit… I wasn't quite expecting this…" Toriel murmured, seeming a little shaken.

"Do not be alarmed," Judgement raised her main hands placatingly. "This is normal for the fusion. While we all exist in one mind, The Monsters that make me up are able to… project themselves for a limited time, to separate themselves from me while still leaving the fusion intact."

"Tori… are you alright?" Asgore stepped forward and tried to put a hand on his wife's shoulder, but it just passed through.

"I.. should be fine," Toriel replied hesitantly. "But I did not realize the summoning was supposed to… fuse us together."

"You summoned me without fully understanding how this works?" Judgement asked incredulously.

"Hey! It's not like anyone left an instruction manual!" Undyne defended. "It's been like, a thousand years since the last time anyone even _could_ do this! You're just lucky Toriel remembered how the ritual went, or you'd never have come back at all!"

"Undyne..." Alphys scurried up to her wife, the quiet whirrs and clicks of her suit's motions accompanying her. "D-don't be so harsh…"

Judgement waved them off.

"It is fine, now is not the time to focus on such things anyway. Vigil, how far are we from the entrance?"

"Not far now. We should be seeing it in the next few minutes."

"Then you three had best prepare yourselves. It is almost time."

Grillby turned to those from his world, making sure they were on guard. Monsters were tense, clenching fists or weapons, and Michael and Jeremiah's eyes seemed to be sparking with their magic, ready for combat. He relaxed a little-all of them were more than ready for whatever awaited them up ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst, we have a theme for Judgement, go give it a listen. owo
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqExpiuxj2A


	33. No Mercy

It wasn't long until Undyne, Toriel and Sans all retracted themselves back into the fusion, and the group began moving again. Shortly after, they came across the hidden entrance to Overwatch's HQ.

It was fairly well hidden, there were no obvious tracks or roads leading up to it, and the trees were thicker this close to the base of the mountain. From the outside, there was nothing denoting it as anything other than an ordinary cave.

"This is it," Vigil intoned quietly. "We're here."

Jeremiah adjusted a rifle that had been on his back up until now, his yellow eyes darting around for trouble, while Neo used what little soul vision he had to seek out immediate danger.

"Be careful," Vigil warned. "They may have cameras hidden somewhere. In fact, I am nearly sure of it. If they didn't have it before, they certainly do now."

Alphys looked up, peering at the cliffside through the pink visor covering her eyes.

"Let… let me take a look…" she raised a hand, and a blue light shone from it, tinting the rock formation with the light. After a moment, she closed her hand into a fist and pointed just above the cave entrance.

"There's… there's two there, and one just inside the entrance. H-hang on…"

Alphys opened up a hatch on her right arm and fiddled with some exposed controls. Then, she closed the hatch, and aimed her hand at the points she had mentioned. She fired a bolt of white light at each one, including the one inside the cavern before lowering her hand.

"T-there… that should buy us some time…"

Mettaton opened his mouth to speak, but he thought better of it, and changed his words. "Well then…?"

Most gazes turned to Judgement.

"Vigil, you said there were two barricades, correct?" Judgement asked, turning to the Shifter.

"Yes, my lady."

"Then we give them one chance. We will approach the wall and demand our people back. If they refuse, we attack." With that, she made her way into the cave and disappeared inside.

As the others trailed by, Jeremiah drew his rifle out by the entrance, and opened a pocket of his old battle gear. Michael turned. "Jeremiah?"

"It's a slope down, right?" the yellow asked softly. "It might be dark, but...I think I can make a mark on escapees from up here."

"Won't you be an easy shot?" Michael asked in concern.

"Trust me, I'll manage."

The cave was large and fairly spacious, as the group found, filing into it, their weapons at the ready. It seemed perfectly natural, even the tunnel beginning to go down held no signs of Human activity.

Judgement led the way, and the others followed, down the tunnel. It was not far until she stopped, however.

"The first gate is up ahead." She turned to the others. "Which do you believe these Humans will be more likely to react to? Gently asking them for our people, or a show of force?"

Michael glanced back the way they came worriedly, and then raised a hand. "Those of Reaper's Harvest will probably need more force...they're not above murder of Monsters or Humans…"

"And Overwatch has proven itself stubborn in the past." Vigil offered, his tail twitching slightly behind him. "And unwilling to compromise. I doubt anything less than a show of force will have any effect on them."

"So be it." Judgement stood straight, grasping her sword in her hands. "Weapons and magic at the ready," she ordered. "If it is a show they require, then that is what we will give them."

The rest of the group obeyed, spreading out behind her until they filled the tunnel. When they were ready, they moved forward down the slight incline.

Only a few moments later, they came across Overwatch's first barricade. A chain-link fence with barbed wire woven through the entire thing. On either side of the fence, against the walls of the tunnel, was a small concrete building, colorless, with barred windows.

On the other side of the fence, were several Humans wearing combat armor and carrying rifles. They were looking about, their motions betraying their nervousness. Judgement smiled. They were right to fear.

"Humans!" she bellowed, her voice echoing down the tunnel and causing all the guards to whirl and aim at her. Shouts of alarm and fear rose at the sight of the approaching group.

Judgement pointed her sword at them, each of her three eyes glowing brighter.

"We know what you have done! This is your only chance. Surrender to us, and your lives will be spared. But know that if you choose to resist us," she gritted her teeth in a ferocious snarl and the flames on her sword seemed to increase in response to her anger.

"Death will be the only mercy you will receive."

She took a step forward, and that simple action had the defenders flinch back in fear.

"Retreat!" One of them yelled, backing away swiftly. "Fall back to the second barricade! Warn the others!"

With that, the Humans turned tail and fled. A few of them fired potshots at the gathered Monsters, but their aim was off and the bullets whizzed past harmlessly to strike the walls of the cavern. Judgement narrowed her eyes.

"Very well, then. No mercy." She turned to Grillby. "Can you do something about the fence?"

The grin seemed to widen, taking up more of his face as he headed forward. "With pleasure," was the reply as his flames began to move erratically, as he passed through the fence without harm, turning his attention to the lock and bolt system that kept it closed. His hands grasped it, melting it off the gate. As soon as it fell, he stepped back to their side, pushing the gates open, some flames remaining on them. "Stay to the sides," he warned. "The metal here will still be hot."

Judgement nodded, striding through first and gesturing for the others to follow her. Continuing down the tunnel, this part displayed more signs of life than the entrance had. Obvious man-built roads, and a few flickering lights set up on the ceiling.

It wasn't long before they reached the second barricade. As Vigil had said, this one was a cement wall with a huge metal gate in the middle. It seemed the gate opened like a garage door, for it was just closing, presumably to let the guards from before take refuge behind it.

There were a lot of men on the walls, some were shouting angrily, while others took aim down the sights of their weapons in silence. There seemed to be some hesitation though… it appeared that they were worried about the amount of Monsters approaching them.

_Well then,_ Sans's voice echoed in Judgement's head. _Let's give them something to be worried about, huh?_

"Agreed," Judgement muttered to herself, widening her stance. She narrowed her three eyes, focused her power within her, and opened her maw.

White light grew and crackled within her mouth, power emanating from the magic being called forth by the fusion. While fear caused the Human's limbs to freeze up, she fired a beam of energy, not unlike Sans's gaster blasters, straight at the gate.

The light was almost blinding, but when it vanished, the entire middle of the gate had been completely vaporized. The edges of it were bent inwards, twisted upon itself, while the metal that had been the closest to the destroyed parts was white-hot.

Grillby practically sensed the others ready to leap on the opening. He raised his hand quietly, signalling to those behind him to hold on a little longer as he watched Judgement carefully.

Rex hung in the back, staring wide-eyed at the mighty fusion, and then shook their head, gritting their teeth. They wanted to move, and it was irritating them so much that they had to stand still a little longer.

There was a shout of command from somewhere behind the wall that snapped the stunned Humans out of their fear-induced paralysis. Without any further pauses, they opened fire on the exposed Monsters.

_Hmm, I wonder…_

Judgement's top two skeletal hands closed into fists at Sans's command, and the hail of bullets coming at them froze in mid-air. Judgement blinked in bewilderment.

_What did you just do?_ she asked, internally.

_Stopped time_ , the skeleton retorted smugly. But only on the bullets. _Wondered if this fusion makes us strong enough that I can be a little more precise than usual… seems I was correct._

_You can stop **time**?!_ Undyne exclaimed, while Sans released the energy keeping the bullets in place. Without any momentum pushing them forward any more, they fell harmlessly to the ground. _Then this is going to be a piece of cake! We can just freeze time and get our people out!_

_Takes a lot of energy to do, though,_ Sans warned. _I suggest we keep a hold on that power for if we really need it. There's gonna be a lot of guys up ahead._

_Agreed,_ Judgement confirmed. _I have questions, but I shall save them for later._

The internal dialogue had taken place at the speed of thought, so as Judgement refocused her attention on the wall, the Humans were only just beginning to give out cries of alarm and panic at the display of power.

Magic began to surge as Monsters started to step forth, ready to go through the blasted entryway. Soft growls, crackling flames, and the whirring of readied weapons filled the air. Grillby stepped forth, the jack-o-lantern grin morphing into a frown. "Shall we move forth?"

"Yes." Judgement stepped forward, flames crackling at her fingertips. The guards on the wall were already fleeing in panic, knowing they could not stand against the force arrayed against them.

"Let these ones go," Judgement ordered. "Their panic will spread to the others, and make our jobs easier." She began to run down the tunnel, though not fast enough to catch up to the fleeing guards.

"Stay in your groups!" she called back. "Once we reach the cavern, we separate! You all know what to do!"

There was a chorus of agreements as everyone began to move, inserting themselves into their smaller groups as they followed after her, and as they neared the end of the tunnel, they prepared for chaos.

As they reached the end of the tunnel, they saw the massive cavern stretched out before them. Vigil had not been kidding, while the Underground they had been a part of had been much longer, the ceiling on this place was nearly twice as high as it had ever been where the Monsters had been trapped.

Much of the interior of the cavern had been left untouched, barring the places where buildings and bridges had been added in. A river flowed through the middle, cutting off the tunnel from the buildings on the other side. There were three bridges on different points of the fast-flowing stream, but each one had been raised and was now locked upright on the other side.

Apparently, this had been done before the guards had safely made it across, for some were trying to swim across the river, while others cowered in terror at the sight of the charging Monsters.

On the other side, alarms were blaring and lights were flashing as Humans milled about. It seemed like most of the settlement was there, there was a large complex as well as several smaller buildings and what looked to be a few greenhouses in the back of the cavern.

Grillby and Muffet came up to either side of Judgement, while Neo let his wings appear-glancing to Alphys as he did so. "Ready, Darling?"

Thrusters ignited in the reptile's boots, and Vigil came up to stand alongside them, his own set of wings made of a teal energy extending from his back.

"Ready," Alphys confirmed. "Though we should lower the bridges first… Unless someone wants to carry Grillby across that…"

"I could manage," Neo murmured, while Muffet grinned, fangs gleaming.

"I could make our own bridges if we're desperate."

"It is up to Grillby," Vigil stated. "But whatever you decide, do it now."

"Death from above?" Neo asked.

"Absolutely."

"Land safely," Muffet insisted while Neo came forth to grab the elemental.

The aerial three took off, and Judgement led the charge to the river. The Humans stuck on their side fell swiftly, and Muffet formed bridges out of webbing to allow the Monsters an easy way across.

And just like that, the battle was begun.

The largest concentration of Humans was centred around the complex, So it was there that Judgement and Muffet charged, soon joined by Grillby being dropped upon the enemy by Neo.

The rest of the group had split up, going their separate ways. Michael joined the dog Monsters from his side of the Rift, while the Canine Unit went on their own in a separate direction. Rex and Kid went off to search for their friends, and Asgore and Gerson took their own path.

And above them all, Vigil, Alphys and Neo flew over the battlefield, keeping an eye on the Human's positions and helping with the battle wherever they were needed.

There was no shortage of Humans, and very quickly, the sounds of gunfire, screaming and roars of anger rose to an almost deafening level. And more magic was cast than ever before on this side of the Rift since the war that left the Monsters sealed underground.

Overwatch and the members of Reaper's Harvest battled desperately against their foe. They were well entrenched, with numbers and fortifications on their side. However, against the finally awakened rage of Monsters pushed too far, they could not hold for long.

Already, many Humans lay unmoving on the cavern floor, fallen to their invaders anger and magic. But even so, with Reaper's Harvest boosting their ranks, many of the Monsters were soon sporting wounds of varying degrees of seriousness, as the desperate battle raged beneath the mountain.


	34. Deception

Michael yelped as Greater Dog barrelled past him, bullets bouncing off his armor as he momentarily blocked the source, until Endogeny rushed in front of him, absorbing the rest of the bullets-working as a walking shield for the rest of the pack to take cover by. Dogaressa snarled, her fur bristling. "I can't smell them with all these other stenches…"

"They're taking cover," the Human muttered. "Think I saw some gunfire coming around that building."

"Cowards," Dogamy growled, while Lesser Dog gave a bark of indignation, poking their head briefly around their fused parents, and then gave a series of yips.

Dogamy smirked. "I suppose we could. Parents, accompany Lesser and Michael. Greater, Dogaressa and I will come around the other way."

Michael's eyes sparked with his magic as he adjusted his hold on his pistol. "I like that plan, just...I can't understand either of them."

"Just stick with them and attack the group. Their tones should be enough to warn you of danger."

Michael nodded. "I can work with that."

In moments, the group split off, each taking their own way to the enemy. The dogs used their Aqua magic when desperate, damaging bullets that flew through their walls of pale blue. Either it sent the bullets to the ground, or slowed them enough to dodge. Eventually, Michael, Lesser, and the Amalgamate all pressed against the wall of the building, waiting to move.

Lesser's ears twitched, and they gave a grunt, before suddenly jumping, their neck extending. Michael stared in alarm as their head went up to a second floor window, fangs sinking into the arm of a would-be sniper. Pressing their paws against the building, they wrenched back, causing the human to come tumbling out with a cry.

Michael shut his eyes, though he didn't flinch at the sound of the human landing. Lesser Dog withdrew their head, sticking their tongue out in disgust with the blood that was on their maw.

Endogeny glanced back briefly, before lowering into a hunter's crouch. Lesser Dog went into a readied stance, clenching their sword tight, while Michael kept his back against the wall, looking about worriedly.

Cries of alarm came from around the corner, and the three whirled around. Endogeny lunged, ignoring bullets that harmlessly entered them, before crashing onto two Humans, their guns empty as they wasted their bullets.

Michael was no sniper, but he raised his pistol, firing off a couple of rounds-getting two Humans that had started to get back up.

Greater Dog yipped in complaint. While the pack had learned to be prepared for loud noises-their precautions weren't foolproof, and the close fire still rang in his ears. He stood awkwardly on all fours briefly, before getting back up, sending his spear forward into another human that was raising his gun to fire.

Michael aided in taking down several more-as physically, he was on equal grounds with humans, and then, with his magic...he was devastating any human from Overwatch. To those struggling-who couldn't move anymore...they were easy prey to his magic.

However, while he may have been a small force to reckon with in this moment-he was nothing compared to the last two fighters. Dogamy and Dogaressa had launched themselves into the center of the fray, fighting back to back, their blades swinging. It was like watching two dancers perform. Constantly in motion, but always together, keeping each other covered.

Their twirling blades met unlucky Humans, and soon, the pack stood in a field of unmoving forms. Some breathing...some not, but all were out of commission, unable to do anymore harm.

Dogamy growled softly, while Dogaressa gently licked his face, cleaning it of dirt and blood as he tried to figure out where to go next. "There's more Humans in the building," Michael called. "What shall we do…?"

The canine clenched his weapon, and looked up at the wall they were standing by, weighing his options...and making a decision.

 

The blue eyed Human hurried down the stairs, listening to the infiltrator's footsteps behind him. "Seems the fight has begun," Blue murmured quietly, moving swiftly in order to get to the prisoners.

"Vengeance is swift." was the quiet reply. The other man kept his eyes on the cells surrounding them, noting that, so far, all had been empty.

Blue finally stopped, moving to a door, unlocking it, and opening it to find William holding the fusion in his lap, his weary eyes glanced around for trouble, before he looked up in confusion.

"Rescuers are coming," the blue eye murmured.

The other man stepped in behind him, flicking his gaze over the two prisoners, his eyes narrowing.

"Lord Sans was correct, then," he murmured, his gaze lingering on the fusion for a moment. Then he looked to the blue-eye. "Where is the prince?"

Blue frowned. "In another building-testing his durability with our magic."

William nodded as he started to stand. "It's been some time since he was last here…"

"Which building?" came the immediate question.

The worn Leader looked to the other hopefully. "It's...on the far end of the cavern," Blue muttered softly.

"Then we must decide what is to be done with you three, and swiftly." Even from here, muffled explosions and the sound of gunfire could be heard. "Outside is a battleground, and I cannot ensure your safety. But the prince must be rescued before more damage is done to him than we can heal."

William's eyes narrowed. "Unless I have a weapon, I'm not much use with my magic drained."

"Figured," Blue muttered. "You red eyes are taught to rely on only your magic." He reached to his side, drawing a gun from its holster, carefully holding it out. "Know how to use this?"

"I've been shown how by my head of security," William assured, adjusting his hold on Frisk, and taking it. "And what of you?"

"I can manage without a gun."

"You seem readily willing to trust this man," the infiltrator noted. "You know him?"

"In a way," William replied.

Frisk raised their head, turning it in the other's general direction. "Blue's nice...he helped me the last time...a little…"

"He helped us with the boy as well," William replied. "I don't know to what extent he can handle our magic, but I know without his help, your Frisk wouldn't be lasting as long as he has…"

"In that case… let me suggest this. The defector will give you the keys to your cell, then you two remain within it. For now, it is the safest place until we secure the area. He will remain to deal with any nosey Humans."

The blue eye started to nod, before Frisk jerked their head up. "Footsteps." His eyes widened, and he shoved the keys into the child's hold, trying to push them away, turning as a yellow eyed human reached the bottom of the stairs, jerking in alarm as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

Blue turned, and with a swift hand motion, he slammed the other into the wall, watching him slump to the ground. "The sooner that battle ends, the better we'll all be."

The infiltrator seemed unfazed by the display of power.

"Then I leave them in your care. I will hold you personally responsible if either of them comes to harm."

The human gave a snort. "I'm pretty sure all your friends already do," he replied as he leaned against the wall opposite of the prison cell.

The other gave a curt nod then rolled his shoulders in anticipation before closing the cell door again. A smile began to play over his features.

"Well, the ones above must already deal with Vigil. Let us see how they handle Deception."

With that, the man's entire body began to shudder and he fell to his hands and knees. His skin roiled and bones shifted, tearing apart clothing and twisting his figure in upon itself. It only lasted for a few moments before something new shook off the shredded clothing it had been wearing.

It appeared to be a feline, the size of a cougar, with light brown scales covering its body instead of fur. It's long, dexterous tail twitched before it bounded away, swiftly disappearing out of sight.

The Human stared wide-eyed, and shook his head numbly. If that man had wanted him dead…

 

"I feel ridiculous," the native Dogamy grumbled. He was crouched low beneath a chuck of ruined wall, flinching whenever another bullet whizzed overhead.

"Well, if Greater Dog hadn't had to push you out of the way of that machine gun, maybe his armor wouldn't have been shredded, and you wouldn't have to wear him as a hat," Dogaressa chided. Her voice was stern and upset, but concern flitted over her face as she checked Dogamy's wounded side carefully.

From his perch, Greater Dog barked in agreement. His hind legs rested on Dogamy's shoulders, while his front paws hovered just over the larger Monster's eyes. From his position, his head just poked over the ruined wall, allowing him to survey the area around them.

"Be more careful!" Dogaressa scolded in concern, finishing her inspection of the wound. "If Alphys hadn't taken out that nest, we could have lost you both!"

Dogamy turned his head slightly and licked his wife's cheek.

"Yes, dear."

Dogaressa gave him a playful smack.

"It's 'Captain' on the battlefield, you know that."

"Hate to break the two of you up," Doggo spoke up from his position slightly behind them. "But we've got company."

Greater Dog barked in agreement, before raising his head a little higher and sending a blast of sonic energy at a group of Humans who had been approaching their position, sending them flying back.

"Right." Dogaressa's brow furrowed and she gripped her weapon in thought. She glanced around quickly, re-affirming their surrounding. She had elected to bring her Unit to the area with a bunch of smaller buildings. So far, from the few they had looked through, they seemed to be mostly housing for the Humans stationed here.

"I don't think we'll find what we're looking for here," she said finally. "But we need to try and check regardless. Lesser, how are you holding up?"

There was a tired yip from Lesser Dog, and the woman's gaze softened as she glanced over at her comrade's dirty fur and battered armor.

"You really need to stop running ahead of the rest of us. The Reaper's Harvest people don't go down as easily as our Humans, even if they don't seem any more prepared to have their souls exposed."

Lesser nodded, and despite his apparent weariness he stood tall, adjusting his grip on his weapon. He'd lost his shield already in the fray, so his other arm hung limply at his side.

"Dogaressa," Doggo warned again, clenching his daggers tighter in his grip.

"Right. Where are they coming from?" Dogaressa asked.

"Other than the ones Greater keeps yelling at, there's maybe five or six Humans approaching from around that building," he pointed at one of the small, square-shaped buildings they had searched earlier. "They'll get the drop on us if we're not careful."

"Any idea if they're ours or not?"

Doggo shook his head regretfully.

"Not till they get closer. I ain't that good at sensing magic."

"Alright then. We'll turn the tables on them." Dogeressa poked her head around the wall and called on her magic, sending a small burst of energy towards the Humans Greater had been occupying. "We'll move and take out those Humans that want to sneak up on us. Then, we find another one of the groups and team up with them. Understood?"

The other Canines gave nods and yips of approval, and Dogaressa smiled. She peered around the wall one more time, preparing another blast of magic as she did so. But then, she stiffened.

The Humans that had been trying to assault their position were throwing down their weapons and running. But they were fleeing… towards them? She tested the air for a moment. There was definitely the scent of fear in the air, but as far as she could tell, none of their allies were in the direction these Humans were running from. So why were they running?

And what was that noise building up just on the edge of her hearing?


	35. Wail of the Damned

Gerson pressed his back against the wall of a building. "Well, how's that for a welcoming party?" he growled as bullets flew by.

Asgore snarled in agreement, looking around the corner and sending a flurry of flaming bolts at the armed men who had been assaulting them, his eyes narrowing at their brief, agonized screams as the flames hit.

"Welcoming is not something these people have appeared to excel at." Asgore's eyes blazed and he gripped his trident, checking the area for more humans. "We shall have to teach them a lesson in manners."

"Who knows, maybe we can invite them to tea when you're done," the turtle replied. As much as Gerson wanted to send bolts of magic back at them, he had done so sparingly. In his old age, magic was not something he wanted to waste out in battle unless it came down to it. He clenched his hammer, peering warily around.

The former king snorted, whether in amusement or disdain, Gerson couldn't tell.

"I don't think there's any more of them here," Asgore called after a moment. "Let's continue on, it sounds like there's more fighting up ahead."

Gerson tilted his head, trying to catch the sound, but he heard nothing. He took Asgore's word as he warily stepped out. "Hopefully they're out of ammo and I can clock a few with my hammer this time," he grumbled.

"The ranged power of their guns does make things more difficult," Asgore acknowledged, taking swift strides forward, his cloak billowing behind him. "Still, I will take this over the old war any day."

"Heh…" The turtle kept good pace beside the king, despite his smaller stature. "Nice to be on top for once-for starters," the turtle added.

"I will agree with that." Asgore chuckled lowly. "It is nice to be on the other side. I think-"

He stopped, reaching out an arm to keep Gerson from moving further.

"Wait."

The turtle paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked around, unable to find what had caused Asgore to stop. Slowly, he glanced back up at the former King, hoping to pick up a cue.

Asgore's brow furrowed, and he looked around for a moment.

"Let's take cover behind this building," he said at last, hurrying over. "Something is… wrong."

Gerson rushed after him, trying to detect it, but...as he got behind it, he huffed. "Mind filling me on the details? Can't say I'm picking up on it…"

"I'm not sure." The former king's mind raced as he tried to put his finger on the feeling of wrongness. "But I cannot shake it. We must be cautious… just because things have been simple so far does not mean they don't have any surprises lying in wait for us."

"Peachy. Cause the magic draining wasn't a big enough surprise." The turtle looked about, trying to find something out of place, or somehow pick up a sound that he knew Asgore would have already heard.

"Let's move on, then." Asgore came out from his cover, and headed out towards the sound of battle once more, albeit with much more caution than before. One hand tightly gripped his weapon, while the other remained free, flames flickering along his fingertips.

"Stay close," he instructed.

"No complaint there," Gerson muttered. Currently, he needed Asgore's protection from any enemies who could attack from a distance.

They made their way cautiously past the buildings around them. The area they were in seemed mostly deserted for the moment, which the two were grateful for. As they approached the source of conflict, however, there was a sudden screeching sound like the wail of the damned. It erupted from nowhere and, though the initial burst died down, it did not disappear completely.

Asgore clutched at his head for a moment with his empty hand.

"What… what _is_ that?"

"Considering that _I_ heard it," Gerson managed. "It's bad news." He turned slowly. "Got any idea where it's coming from?"

Asgore shook his head.

"The sound is echoing around this place. Perhaps Greater Dog could pinpoint it, but that does not help us for now."

"Never have the right Monster when you need them…"

"Still, we do no one any good by standing here." With that, Asgore began sprinting forward, once again focused on his previous destination. Though he remained aware of Gerson, making sure the old turtle didn't flag behind.

Gerson kept a good pace for his age, though his strides were smaller, and he wasn't nearly as fast as the former King if he were to break out into a full out charge.

In just a few moments, they finally located the source of the sound of fighting. But what met their eyes was more horrifying than they could have imagined.

A group of Humans were desperately trying to flee. Not from Monsters, but from… something else. Swarming over the area were abominations of twisted flesh and bone. They were vaguely Humanoid shaped, but their flesh was pulsing and misshapen. Each was a grotesque nightmare, and from each one rose a hellish shriek as they tore into the screaming Humans, moving with unholy speed and tearing each one to shreds.

"By the gods…" Asgore whispered in horror.

Gerson stared wide eyed. "What in the name of…?" The words died away as he stared, and then took a small step back. "Beasts…?" he muttered, before shaking his head. There was something wrong with them. He had seen many Beasts over the years-but these-these were something else.

Something worse.

Asgore focused on them while they were still distracted with the last of the Humans.

"They bear magic signatures from your side.." he managed. "Is this… something you have seen before?"

Gerson shook his head. "The closest I've got is Beast Monsters...but those always had faint echoes of what they used to be. These...this looks like something ripped out of a nightmare." He looked them over, his arms shaking as he focused.

It was then that one of the abominations noticed their presence. It let out a shriek and flung itself in their direction. With it's twisted and pulsating body, there was no way it should be able to move as fast as it did.

And as it noticed, others did as well. The nightmarish creatures loosed vicious cries and began charging towards the two Monsters.

Asgore threw up a wall of flame before them, placing it in between two buildings to cut off their approach.

"We need to warn the others about these things! If there are-"

He was cut off as the abomination that had noticed them first crashed through the wall, screaming. It burned, it's flesh sizzling and popping as flames danced upon its form, but that did nothing to slow it's assault as it hurled itself upon Gerson.

Time slowed to the old warrior as his pupils dilated. No time to dodge-in a desperate attempt, he swung his hammer in hopes that he could at least buy himself a moment to react.

The hammer impacted the creature's flesh with a squelching sound and it shrieked. Its momentum was diverted, but a claw-like appendage still scored a hit on the old warrior's shell.

Gerson gave a shout as he stumbled away, trying to put some distance between himself, the abomination, and the fire where he knew the others would not fear lunging through it if this one's actions were anything to go by. They may not be Beasts-but they were just as mindless.

The abomination made to follow the old warrior, but was suddenly and violently thrust to the ground as Asgore drove his trident deep into the creature's back. Even under the mighty blow, it flailed around, trying to attack the former king, until a point blank blast of fire finally stilled it.

Asgore fell back, wrenching his weapon from the abomination's still smoking flesh as more of the creatures emerged from the flames.

"There's too many of them!" He cried, firing off another volley in the vain hope he might slow the abominations. "We need to fall back to the others!"

"Stop yabbering and start running!" the turtle shouted, already bolting as fear rushed through his old body, fueling him as he tore away, hammer ready to launch again.

Asgore's firewall dispersed and he turned to follow the older turtle. But suddenly, he felt sluggish and slow, as if he were moving through mud. Seeing how many of the creatures were making their way towards him, he knew he could not outrun them.

"Come at me then." Even his words were slower, almost slurred, but the Boss Monster still managed another wave of fire before the shrieking creatures were on him.

Gerson whirled, feeling the sudden change as well-and being slower than Asgore-he stood no chance against the enemy with the odd effect that had come upon him. He slowly raised his hammer into a swing at one of the faster beasts, praying that the hammer would meet before he was tackled.

Amongst the shrieks and wails, something else rose above it all-though faint in his hearing. A bright blast suddenly came smashing down, hitting the abomination from afar. As Gerson fell back, he saw Neo hovering well above them, smoke coming off his cannon.

Asgore was unaware of Neo's arrival however, as six of the creatures were already upon him, lashing out with claws or attempting to sink teeth into him. They were too close for him to use his weapon efficiently, so he allowed it to dissipate.

One fist was coated in flames and drove into an abomination, while his other hand tore one that had leapt upon him off, hurling the creature into the wall. He struggled against whatever was causing him to slow, knowing that he would be at a major disadvantage until he threw it off. Especially as these creatures forms seemed mostly physical…

Dread began to well into his soul. Physical forms… surely they weren't…

Neo seemed fine from where he was, seeming confused by their movements as he aimed for the fastest ones, while trying to keep them off the fighters at the same time. His cannon charged and fired rapidly, trying to keep up with the swarm as the fighters tried desperately to keep the overwhelming creatures off them.

Suddenly, the effect seemed to wear off and both Asgore and Gerson were able to move at normal speeds again. The Boss Monster increased his attacks, only to gasp in pain and stumble back as a claw coated in a purple liquid sliced across his stomach. He gritted his teeth against the pain and shoved the creature away, hurling a blast of fire after it.

He was panting heavily, but the abominations who had been on him had already been taken out, though there were more coming. Fortunately, not all of the creatures they had seen had come after them, apparently having spread out quite a bit.

He took a moment to check on Gerson…

And saw one last abomination topple to the ground, even as the turtle fell on his back. "Gerson!" Neo swooped down, helping the old warrior to his feet. "Gerson, are you all right-" He stopped as he saw a slash in the turtle's chest, where blood was staining his shirt.

"Nicked the soft side of my shell," Gerson managed. "I'm fine. We need to move."

"Here, get into a building, we can barricade them off and get you tended to," the robot insisted.

"Mettaton," Asgore rumbled, making his way over to them, while cautiously keeping an eye out for more of the creatures. "Do you have any idea where those things came from?"

Neo made a vague motion. "They're all coming from the same direction. I was trying to find the source and then I saw you two. Wherever they came from-they're all over the place now."

"Peach...y…" Gerson managed, panting heavily.

Asgore cast about, and saw one of the close-by buildings had it's door facing them.

"There!" he pointed to it. "We can take shelter there for a moment. Gerson, can you move?"

"I'll manage," Gerson assured, though Neo was quick to start guiding him along.

"Move it quickly," the robot urged.

A few other abominations were beginning to take note of them, their cries echoing throughout the cavern as they followed the Monsters. Fortunately, the feeling of lethargy did not return.

They'd almost made it to the door when Asgore gave a grunt of pain as something impacted his back. He whirled, facing the creatures that had come up from behind. These ones were not as fast as the others had been, but as they shambled forwards, bursts of magical energy fired from their bodies.

Their aim was poor, but Asgore made a large target and, on instinct, he was sheltering the other two from enemy fire. He roared in anger, conjuring more fire to throw at the enemies. Even so, these creatures were harder to put down than any of the Humans they had fought so far, even with his anger fuelling his magic.

Neo practically shoved Gerson through the doorway as he turned-blasting them with his cannon fire. "Asgore-get through the door!" he barked, sending one skidding away-his wings completely gone in order to fuel the cannon faster.

"Not yet! I have to see…" Asgore gestured with a hand, and from the four remaining abominations coming towards them, small, heart-shaped souls appeared in front of their chests. Two yellow, two orange.

Asgore's eyes widened in horror as his suspicions came true.

"Mettaton! These are… these were… Humans!"

The robot did a double take. "Humans-but they-" He shook his head. "Unless we know them…" His cannon whirred. "I think putting them out of their misery is the best option." As far as Neo was concerned-they were Beasts. And Beasts...had to be put down.

Asgore's anger melted away to fear. If these were Humans, then… his son…

But the Abominations were not impeded by the shock of their souls being exposed like a normal Human would be. The two with orange souls were now almost within striking distance, while the other two were closing fast, still sending out bursts of yellow magic.

One impacted Neo, another Asgore. But with the former king's wounds, as well as the emotional turmoil within him, that shot earned a gasp from him and slowly, Asgore sank to his knees.

Neo slid back from the force, and with a cry, he lunged forward, firing in return. "Asgore!" he cried out, trying to put himself between the things and the Boss Monster. One got too close, and he kicked it back, trying to keep them at bay.

However, they were homing in on the former King. The robot didn't stop though. He continued using his cannon-resorting to physical attacks when they got too close, his metal body packing more of a punch than normal fighters.

One fell to his cannon...another with a swift kick to the throat…

One lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. One hand gripped its head...the other blasted it squarely in the face. It gave a cut off shriek, and fell on top of the robot-leaving him unable to defend the former King as the last one leapt at Asgore.

A hammer got between its head and the King, and the next thing anyone knew, the battered turtle stood before it with a snarl. "Not. On. My. Watch," he practically spat, steadily pushing forward, until his force caused the abomination to stumble back. Before it had a chance to recover, he lunged, swinging his hammer, bashing its shoulder, and then crashing down on its head.

For a moment, he didn't move as he waited for the twitching limbs to finally still. Then, he turned as Neo pushed the other corpse off. There was a sudden silence as they turned to Asgore-and then-both scrambled for him.

"Asgore!"

The Boss Monster had been holding a hand over the wound on his chest, but now slowly pulled it away. It was difficult to see in the white fur on his hand, but the flecks of dust clinging to the front of his clothes were far more obvious.

"Frisk…" he managed, slowly curling his hand into a fist as tears formed in his eyes. "I am so sorry…"

"ASGORE!" Both monsters panicked at the sight of the dust, and both rushed over, both reaching for the wound, green magic pouring forth from them. In the back of their minds-the non-native Monsters knew that the dust had already come, that there wasn't a chance...but, despite knowing that fact...that didn't stop them from desperately trying.

Because they didn't want to lose him twice. Not while they were there.

Not while Gerson was on watch.

Asgore looked up at them, a small smile managing to make itself to his face. He made to speak, but ended up remaining silent, closing his mouth with a quiet sigh.

Under their administrations, the wounds on Asgore began to close. Slowly, and they didn't close all the way, but they did stop shedding dust.

Gerson panted heavily as he drew back-staring in stunned surprise at their handiwork, while Neo's eyes took an odd glow as he worriedly scanned the former King over.

Asgore breathed deeply for a moment, then stood shakily, stepping back and using the wall for support.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I am sorry… I let my guard down there for a moment."

"We…" Neo blinked in confusion, and looked to Gerson. "We...healed it?"

Gerson looked the former King up and down. "...looks...like it?" he managed in numb surprise. They hadn't expected-practically knew it wouldn't work...it boggled the old warrior's mind.

"Well… I don't think I will be rejoining the fight," the Boss Monster slumped against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. "But so long as I am careful, I should be in no danger of dying, for now." he opened his eyes. "I believe it would be prudent for us two to get out of here. Neither of us are in any shape to continue this assault."

"Fraid you might have a point," the turtle wheezed. "But you...have some...explaining to do later…"

"Let me escort the two of you out," Neo insisted. "I don't want you two ambushed."

Asgore reluctantly pushed off from the wall.

"Then let us go." He looked worriedly into the distance. The sounds of gunfire had died down, but the screeches and wails he knew originated from these abominations were only getting louder. "I hope everyone else is alright…"

"They're formidable," Gerson assured as Neo started ushering them away, looking about as he scanned the area.

The robot hummed. "Those things are working on instinct-and also, seeming to attack blindly. That gives us a slight advantage...but...you two do me no good dead; so pick up the pace, darlings."


	36. Screaming Bloody Murder

"Yo…" Rex murmured as they looked up at the fusion. "That tackle was really good-they wouldn't have known you were there if you weren't yellin' while you came down." The younger one's gaze swiftly moved back to their surroundings as they kept close to one of the buildings.

Rex hadn't spoken much since they entered, but they had found an odd moment of quiet amongst all the chaos. Though-quiet didn't mean silence, as they could still hear the fighting in other parts of the cavern.

"I know, right!" Kid enthused, ruffling his wings in excitement. "It's kinda hard to manage though, I don't really know my own strength. I kinda wish we'd practiced with this form beforehand...:"

 **Keep focused, Kid,** Chara warned.

"Yo, at least you didn't learn you had the form in mid battle like I did with my magic…" Rex glanced back the way they came, frowning a little...something didn't feel...right. It reminded them of fighting the red-eye… They shook their head and continued, talons digging into the ground.

"Yeah," Kid glanced about as surreptitiously as he could at his new seven-foot height. "Yo, what do you think that screaming from earlier was about? It didn't sound like the fighting we've been hearing…"

"Dunno…" Rex mumbled. "That was just...yelling-unless there's some stray beasts that got in here…" The child gave an odd shrug of their shoulders before pausing at an entrance to another building. "Yo…"

Kid blinked and looked up at it.

 **Looks like that's the main complex,** Chara noted within Kid's mind. **The good news is, most of the people who would normally be there have probably been drawn out by the fighting. If nothing else, we should at least find out where they are.**

Kid relayed what Chara had said to his counterpart, adding; "I just hope the ceilings are bigger in there, haha."

Rex gave a snort, tugging on the door with their magic, groaning a little as they stepped back. "Stupid...heavy…"

"Here, let me help." Kid stepped forward, raising a foot and jabbing it forward, sinking his talons into the metal door. With a mighty grunt, he pulled it off it's hinges, hopping back a few steps to keep his balance. He grinned widely at his counterpart.

"Yo! That was awesome!"

 **You could have just nudged it open,** Chara sighed, a fond smile playing across her image's features despite her words.

Rex looked to where the door had gone, their tail wagging a little as they jumped with excitement. "Yo! Undyne's right about doors!"

"I know, right!? I've never been strong enough to take a door all the way off before though! Aw man, wait till she hears about this!" Kid shook his foot to dislodge the door from his talons… and frowned.

The metal door clanked off stone, but was still lodged in his claws. He shook it again, trying to dislodge the unwieldy thing, flapping his wings in an attempt to keep his balance as he did so. Still no luck.

"Ummm…"

Rex was trying so hard not to laugh, though their smile showed up regardless. "Yo…uh..." They stepped forward, inspecting the odd situation.

Kid managed to put his other foot down on the metal door, using it as leverage to pull the other one out. Unfortunately, he forgot to raise the claws on that one and, still unused to his power, ended up getting those claws caught in the door as well.

"On second thought…" he looked down at his little counterpart. "Maybe we don't tell Undyne about this."

 **Oh my god.** Chara buried her face in her hands. **I'm in love with an idiot.**

"We could just leave this part out," Rex suggested as they came forward, concentrated on where Kid was stuck, before the fusion felt something around his foot as the child attempted to help gently.

Between Kid and Rex's efforts, they managed to unsnag one foot, at least. As they began to work on the second one however, Chara cried out a sudden warning.

**Kid!**

The fusion whipped his head up, to see a shambling horror of a creature appearing in the doorway, surrounded by a purple aura.

"Rex, get down!" he shouted.

The little one yelped, already diving away from it, tripping, but as they stumbled, they managed to catch their balance, turning in alarm as they looked at the abomination.

The creature let out a screech, but Kid didn't give it time to do more than that. Following Chara's mental instructions, he called on his magic and breathed a gout of flames at the creature. The fire smashed into it with physical force, sending it flying back into the building where it slammed against a wall and slumped to the ground. The purple aura dissipated around it.

Kid breathed heavily, his eyes wide.

"Yo… what was that?"

"I dunno," Rex managed. "It looked like something from a ghost ship…" They shuddered. "Creepy…"

Kid's red eyes narrowed.

"C'mon, help me get this thing off… we should probably be careful if there's more of those…"

"Yo...right…" With that, the child hopped to it, quickly aiding their counterpart. "Mmmaybe don't tear doors open till we need to…"

"Yeah…"

It wasn't long before they were able to get Kid free of the door, and the fusion flexed his claws in appreciation before kicking it away with a clatter.

"That's better. Let's get going then…"

The two entered the building, Kid taking the lead. The halls and ceiling were wider and taller than some of the buildings they'd been in before, though Kid still had to duck his head a little to keep his head-spikes from hitting the ceiling.

As they passed the smouldering form of the creature Kid had dealt with, a hand suddenly shot out, grabbing at Rex's leg with a screech, purple magic emanating from its fingers.

A shrill cry escaped the young one as they whipped around, lashing their dagger down on the limb as they tried to frantically pull back

The weapon sank deep into flesh and glanced off bone, but, if anything, the abomination's grip only tightened, its magic crackling along Rex's scales. Kid was trying to get himself fully turned around so he could see what was going on, but even in this wider space, he was still having difficulty with his form.

"Rex!"

The child was struggling, trying to wrench back on their good leg, their magic desperately smashing the weapon back down-trying to pry the fingers off.

Hacking desperately at the creature's arm, they managed to sever the limb completely from the body. Blood and pus dripped from the stump, and though the magic stopped affecting Rex, the hand still refused to let go.

The abomination did not appear capable of getting up, fortunately for the child. It screeched and spat at them, magic still crackling around it's body, but made no move to rise.

Rex hopped away, yelping as they did, before raising their leg, desperately prying at the hand with their magic as they shook it.

Kid, finally having managed to get himself around, spat another burst of flame at the abomination. Its shrieks and wails increased for a moment, and then there was silence.

"Yo, are you okay, Rex?" he asked, crouching down and looking at the child in concern.

"Get it off!" Rex managed, shaking their foot, and yelping in the process. The purple stained their leg, almost looking like a bruise.

"Yo, hold still." Kid grimaced, then stretched his neck out and grabbed the arm with his mouth, pulling at it and finally yanking it from the child's leg. He spat it out immediately, continuing to spit in an attempt to get the taste from his mouth as he scrunched up his face in disgust.

Rex leaned against the wall, inspecting the darkened scales with concern. The limb shook slightly as they slowly put it back to the ground, breathing out harshly as they tried to deal with the pain shooting up their leg.

"Oh god… that was so gross!" Kid smacked his lips, trying to get rid of the remnants of the taste. "Eww." He shook his head violently. "Yo… I thought he was dead! And then he just-" He cut himself off and looked at the child. "Yo.. Rex…"

"Purple magic," Rex muttered, stepping forward, though they swiftly kept the majority of their weight on the uninjured leg, wobbling slightly. "I'll be okay…" They were putting up a front-it hurt, but...they had to find Frisk.

"You don't look okay." Kid examined the wound on Kid's leg. "That looks like it hurts a lot."

"I'll be fine," Rex insisted. "Let's just find them and get out of here before something else shows up…"

**Stubborn kid…**

"Just follow close, okay?" Kid voiced his concern. "And let me know if you need a break, you won't be able to help rescue Frisk if you're too badly hurt."

Rex nodded, looking about, before moving forward, keeping to the wall, and using their shoulder to lessen the weight when they put the injured leg down, though now the child's eyes were narrowed in concern.

Kid moved forwards first, both his and Chara's senses on high alert as they kept an eye out for more of those things. So far, there hadn't been any. But…

There were more bodies lying about. All Humans wearing uniforms… probably. It was hard to tell as both uniformhad been basically shredded. In the distance, they could hear more screeches, probably from more of those things, but at least for now it didn't seem like there were any nearby.

Rex swallowed, feeling a little sick. This was the first time they had ever been near any bodies like this, and...the stench was horrible on their sensitive muzzle and it sent shivers down their spine.

They hobbled after Kid, ignoring the throbbing pain on each step they made, their stomach churning as they continued on their way.

There were many doors, many hallways. Kid and Rex both did their best to search through them all, while hoping to avoid any more of those creatures. Kid was taking things slowly for the sake of his counterpart, while Chara did her best to keep Kid from noticing the stench permeating the building.

As they were about to round another corner, Rex halted, hearing harsh noises coming down the other hall. They swallowed, readying their dagger as best they could. "Yo…" they muttered softly.

"I hear it," Kid replied. "Be careful, alright?"

They cautiously looked around the hallway, which ended in an open, bloodstained door with another body slumped by it. The sounds seemed to be echoing from beyond the door, which lead to a stairwell.

"Uh, yo, we sure we want to go down there?" the fusion asked, rolling his shoulders and shifting his wings nervously, the motion causing the chains wrapped around his torso to clank against each other. "It's probably not gonna look very good…"

"Don't want to, but…"

"Guess we gotta look everywhere, huh?" Kid groaned quietly. "I don't know what those things are, but this whole thing has seriously become a whole lot less cool since that one showed up."

Rex nodded their agreement. "I think I can make a shield, if we need it...but...maybe we'll luck out…"

They tentatively made their way down the hallway, though Kid paused as he reached the door.

"You gonna be okay on the stairs?"

Rex made a low sound and then looked up. "Well, if we can see the bottom and you don't mind going down the stairs twice…"

Kid's crocodilian muzzle twitched into a smile.

"I think I can manage."

A few moments later, they were both at the bottom of the stairs, staring down the long, dim hallway with cells lining the walls on either side.

"Hey!" Kid perked at the sight. "Yo, this might be it!"

Rex looked ready to sink down in relief. "Thank you…" they moaned before looking around for signs of their friends-or danger.

There were growling noises coming from somewhere, though neither of them could see where. As well, they could hear the sound of metal screeching and clanking.

"That's not good..." the dark-scaled fusion murmured, keeping his magic at the ready.

Rex sighed, raising their dagger as they kept close to the fusion, sparing their leg as much as possible as they nervously continued down the hall, looking for the captives-or the source of that horrid noise.

About halfway down the hall of empty cells, there was a T-intesection exposing a new hallway. It was here that the two found the source of the noise. Three more of those abominations were bashing and smashing at a metal door, apparently trying to get at something inside. There was a fourth one, but it lay unmoving on the ground next to a bloody Human body.

"Stay back," Kid warned, hunkering down. "I've got this."

Rex nodded, going back behind the corner, poking out just enough to watch in fascination as the fusion went to handle the threat.

One of the creatures noticed the fusion dominating the middle of the hallway and switched focus, beginning to tear towards him while the other two focused on the door. Kid widened his stance; he'd seen the damage these things could do and didn't intend to let them cause any more harm.

 **After what we saw of the last one, I don't think letting them live is an option.** Chara murmured, almost reluctantly. **Make it quick.**

With that, Kid opened his maw and let the fire pour forth. White hot flames, tinged with red, poured down the corridor in an inferno. Due to the enclosed space, the fire congealed on the walls and pushed together until the entire corridor in front of him was filled with his fire.

After a few moments, he released the magic and closed his mouth. The fire dissipated, but left behind scorch marks all across the walls and ceiling. All that was left of the bodies and creatures within, were charred skeletons.

Kid panted in the wake of the magic.

**You might have gone a little overboard there, babe.**

_I had to make sure they all died,_ Kid replied mentally.

**Still, that took up a lot of magic. We've still got plenty, just be careful about pulling that stunt again, okay?**

"Yo," Rex called. "Coast clear?"

"Y... yeah," Kid managed, trying to compose himself. "Looks like…"

Rex paced forward, and looked around. "Frisk!" they called. With the rest of the ruckus going on, if anything else was to come-it would already be on its way, regardless.

"Rex?" came a concerned, scared tone.

The little Monster went stock still, before bolting forward.

Kid quickly followed after the child, relief surging through him.

"Little Frisk?"

"Over here!" Another voice called, before they heard a click of a key in a lock, and out stepped a ragged looking William, cradling Frisk in his hold. Rex stopped in front of the Human, stomach churning as they noticed the fabric covering Frisk's eyes.

The little one growled angrily, realizing what had been done. "Rex…" Frisk mumbled as they turned toward the noise.

Kid frowned in concern at the little one.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked, kicking himself mentally a moment afterwards for asking such a stupid question.

"Drained," William replied. "But I can worry about carrying Frisk."

"Frisk…" Rex mumbled worriedly.

"We'll be okay," Frisk promised. "But um...don't hurt Blue…"

"Who?" Kid looked around in confusion, suddenly a little self-conscious about how different he looked now.

"I think you can come out," William said in response.

Warily, a third Human stepped out, both hands raised to show he was unarmed.

Rex jumped back on their good foot, and then looked up. "Is this the same Blue you mentioned…?"

"Uh-huh...he's helping more…"

Rex made an uncertain sound, fidgeting. "Friiiisskkk…"

"Yo… are you sure?" Kid looked down at Blue, red eyes narrowing dangerously while Chara practically hissed at the idea they should trust this Human.

The blue eye kept his hands up, though said nothing in his defense. William turned, red eyes dim and tired. "He's helped us," William assured.

Kid shook his head slowly, then refocused on the prisoners.

"Where's our Frisk?" he asked warily, stepping forward and peering into the cell to see if his friend was there.

William shook his head. "I'm afraid he's been taken to another building."

Rex moaned. "He's still in danger…"

"The security there is tight," the blue eye stated. "But with those things running around, that might work in his favor…"

"What do you mean?" Chara shifted uncomfortably in Kid's mind, but remained silent.

"It seems Overwatch wants to regain their magic," Blue stated carefully. "They've been using our-and leftover Monster magic that they took to accomplish that...the boy is their test subject for this."

Chara rose within Kid's mind, screaming bloody murder. The boy flinched and raked his claws against the concrete, trying to resist the bloodlust she was awakening within him.

"Chara…" he let loose the soft name, not realizing he'd even said it aloud.

Rex turned worriedly. "Yo…" The reptile than glanced to the Humans.

William frowned. "We either stay here, or get out on an escort. The danger seems to be escalating if the sound is anything to go by." The fusion's ear fins twitched, but otherwise, they remained silent.

"We need… to get Frisk… out," Kid managed, barely making out the words while trying to calm Chara mentally. It was difficult though, she seemed to be igniting his own anger over the situation somehow, making it hard to resist her will.

"And while I trust you have the capabilities," William started. "I and this little one will only slow you down...and it looks like Rex should be staying out of future fights."

"I can manage…" Rex muttered.

"You can manage leaving," William stated sternly. "Look, danger is coming into this building, making it no longer safe. If we can get out somewhere secure, you can return down here to find him, instead of trying to watch over us at the same time."

The brown-scaled reptile growled his discontent, his wings twitching uncontrollably.

"There are dangerous things running about," William continued. "I know you want to go and find him now, but it's not worth risking the injured or defenseless. As soon as these little ones are somewhere safe, you can come back."

 _He's right, Chara,_ Kid all but begged mentally. _We can come back._

**What if he doesn't have time? He could be dying! He could be dead!**

_We'll find him, I promise._

Chara still fought him, But Kid found that, somehow, he could override her will. Not that she made it easy on him.

"We have to go fast." Kid's eyes refocused. "Can you run?"

"For a while," William assured, while Blue looked down at Rex.

"This one needs to be carried."

Rex grumbled, but nodded, while the little fusion made a hum of concern. "Here," the other Human replied, picking the reptile up. "Should be good to go."

Kid began hurrying away, opening his mouth to speak, but he stopped stock-still at the sudden sound of shrieks and screeches. They were closer than the distant sounds of battle… it sounded like they were… coming down the corridors…

"Yo, you guys! Get back in the cell!" he called. "There's more of them coming, I can deal with them, but you gotta be ready to run when I'm done!"

Frisk yelped as William whirled, dragging the other Human in after him while the fusion covered their ears-not wanting to hear what would soon follow as the red eye slammed the door shut, leaving Kid to fend against the incoming dangers.

Sure enough, several of the abominations came around the corner, crashing into the walls as well as each other as they tried to regain their footing.

Kid snarled at them, backing up so that he stood just outside the cell door his friends were in. Chara's anger washed over him, and he clenched his talons while breathing in deeply as the abominations charged. Magic was flung every which-way, but even the shots that landed still barely registered to the angry Monster.

"Let see how well you handle my Special Attack," he growled, before releasing his energy. Unlike in his normal form, he had so much power flowing through him in this fusion that his Special Attack did not require charging at all.

Stars the size of basketballs flew from his mouth in a haphazard pattern, each one surrounded in an aura of orange or blue flames. They rocketed down the corridors, smashing into the mass of flesh that shrieked and hissed at the attack.

But it seemed that something else changed when using his attack in this form.

Unlike before, every time one of the stars impacted a wall, or an abomination, it exploded into a bunch of smaller stars that flew out in all directions. Kid stared in awe at his own handiwork. Between the confined space and his new power, the abominations were shredded before they got anywhere near him.

He shook his head violently, then tapped the door with a talon.

"Yo, let's go before more come. But I think we should see if we can find another way around..."


	37. Blooky

Neo sighed, pulling his hand back, watching his fingertip close back over the USB fully. "Well, that's all I can get here...hopefully someone can do something with that information…" He slowly rose, hissing as sparks came off some wires that were exposed on his upper arm.

While escorting and carrying injured to safety, the robot had taken more damage than he would like, thus forcing him to retreat from the fray. However, while he couldn't fight, he could aid in other ways and had decided to comb through the buildings for information, ripping everything from each machine he came upon.

As he turned to leave, he stiffened, his gaze going down the hall he was in. "Wait, is that…" It couldn't be...but no, he could sense it faintly. "Blooky?" The robot frowned, and hurried down. "What are they doing here?" he muttered harshly, eyes narrowing. He told them to stay at home!

His soul detection led him to a solid door. He tested the handle, frowning when he found it locked. The robot scowled as he revved his good arm back...and plowed it through the handle. He heard the metal creak as he smashed his hand through the door, causing splinters, but he had taken out the deadbolt in the process.

Instantly, he tore the door open, about ready to shout at his cousin-but halted when something else came into his vision instead.

The room was small, and the only thing within it seemed to be a bed just large enough for an adult to lie on. Other than that, it was completely unfurnished. In the corner, curled up and crying, was a girl with long blonde hair. She was hugging her legs and sobbing in fear, her forehead pressed against her knees.

Neo halted, analyzing the issue, before stepping forward. "Little darling?" he called gently, raising his hands slowly.

She flinched in fear, trying to make herself smaller in the corner.

"No! Please-" Her voice choked off and she wasn't able to continue.

"It's okay," Neo soothed. "I'm not here to hurt you." He took a few more steps, surveying the situation carefully. "Look at me, darling…"

Slowly, she lifted a tearstained, hazel-eyed face to look at him. She blinked in confusion, another choked sob dying on her lips.

"M… Mettaton?"

There was a soft smile. "More or less...and who might I be speaking to, hmm? It's been a long day."

The girl just stared at him disbelievingly, her shoulders still shaking, though no fresh tears were making their way down her face.

Neo eased down on his knees and offered out a hand. "Well, I suppose names aren't very important right now. How about we get you out of here and figure out how to get you home, hmm? This room is absolutely dreadful." He made a soft tsking noise. "No fashion to have sense with."

"H… home?" The Human teen was splitting her attention between looking warily at the proffered hand and the robot's face.

Neo nodded. "I don't think this is where you're supposed to be, little darling."

Slowly, she reached out her hand to take Neo's, revealing a small black strap tied around her upper arm just under where the sleeve of her black shirt had been torn off. All along her forearm, small needle marks could be seen covering her skin like freckles.

Neo's eyes widened in alarm as they began to faintly glow. "Oh, you poor darling," he murmured as he slowly helped her up. "I think I'm going to have a stern talking to your 'caretakers' when I find them."

_If I find them._

"Here...let's get you out of this dreadful place to a friend of mine. He can look after you while things are being dealt with." And perhaps get her to a hospital.

The girl shakily stood, though her legs were visibly trembling under her weight. Her head was down, part of her face hidden behind her hair.

"Jennifer." She spoke softly, her voice trembling.

"What a lovely name, Darling," Neo said gently, bringing her to his uninjured side. "Now, I believe the exit is this way, but if you're getting tired, let me know."

"It burns…" she murmured softly, leaning against him and letting him lead.

"I'm sorry, Darling. We'll get you help as soon as we can," he assured. "We'll get you out, and I'll have someone look after you while we deal with the horrible people here." He raised his head, scanning the area, hoping to avoid trouble. He knew he'd have to fly with her eventually, but he had to moderate his power.

Fortunately, the complex itself seemed to be empty, he wasn't picking anything up, at least. The battle outside still raged however, though it had been a while since the last time he'd heard a gunshot.

As he neared the door however, he knew that whatever battle was going on was occupying the ground between them and where he wanted to go, so as he neared the door, he stopped, and then gently scooped up the girl as his wings unfurled, emitting a soft hum of energy. "Jennifer, I need you to hold on to me," Neo replied. "We're going to be leaving very swiftly."

"...I'm dreaming," she muttered halfheartedly, but wrapped her arms around his neck anyways, pressing her face against his cool metal body.

He gave a sad smile. "This is all so strange, I know, Darling. But you'll be okay," he promised. With a foot, he kicked the door open-darted out-and took to the air with a mighty jump, already soaring high above the battle below, heading for the exit.

Jennifer peeked down for a moment, only to press her face closer to Neo and squeeze her eyes shut.

"Do you know how many girls would kill for a dream like this?" she mumbled against his chest.

"Well, if storytelling is anything to go by," Neo replied. "Nearly every one-but you get to trump that," he assured as he swooped into the tunnel entrance, wings flapping to increase his speed as he headed toward the exit.

The girl was quiet for a moment, then raised her head and gently kissed the side of Neo's face before letting her head fall back down.

"There," she let out a strained giggle. "I'll have something to tell my friends about… if I get back." Her face twisted against Neo's chest and she started crying again.

His eyes sparked in surprise at her, before he finally got outside, where Jeremiah looked up, wearing what looked like night vision goggles. However, it was only for a brief moment, before he took his gaze back to the tunnel.

Neo swooped low, landing, but then continued along the ground as his wings tucked away. A minute later, he came upon others who had eventually retreated from the fight. He found both dog packs, a little battered and worse for wear, Michael, Gerson, and Asgore.

Resting in the weary turtle's lap was Frisk, while Dogamy held Rex as Lesser Dog inspected the reptile's injured foot, whining and licking at it, green magic seeping onto the injury.

"Everyone-I found another child in there," the robot announced as he came forth.

"Not a child…" Jennifer mumbled.

Asgore looked up from where he was watching over the children, and rose in concern.

The robot strode over to the former King. "I...was there a mentioned kidnapping at all aside from Frisk's?" he questioned quietly.

"Not that I was aware of," Asgore rumbled, gently taking the girl from Neo. "Let us have a look at you, little one."

Jennifer flinched, but allowed herself to be pulled from Neo, blinking her eyes open and curling in on herself.

"What is your name?" he asked quietly, raising a hand and letting a white light shine from his palm over her.

"J… Jennifer."

Michael perked. "Jennifer?" He rose from where he was. "She can't be…" He moved over, swiftly, his eyes widening. "That's...hey, we've seen her before."

"Oh?" Asgore sat down carefully, resting the girl in his lap as he sat cross-legged on the grass. "One of yours, I presume?"

Michael shook his head. "No-when we came the first time...the Human that came to your house...he brought his daughter-Jennifer along. What was she doing here…?"

"There's a story there," the blue eye replied while William had hesitated to say anything. He leaned against a tree, the shadows nearly hiding him-except for those blue eyes that seem to glow in the night.

Asgore frowned.

"But… she has a magical signature. Though it feels..." he fell silent for a moment, then placed his palm on Jennifer's head for a moment. A white glow emanated from his hand and she shuddered for a moment before going limp in his grasp.

"Sleep, little one," he murmured, before looking up to Neo. "It feels more like your magic…"

"It's not just that," Neo managed. "It feels like Blooky's…"

"A Human from my side… with magic from yours." Asgore fell silent, looking down at the sleeping girl, cradling her gently.

"...they used her as another test subject," the blue eye muttered. "She needs to get to a hospital…"

"She might need to go to our side," William replied. "We're equipped to deal with magic…"

"I feel we should get a doctor from Ebott, as well," Gerson muttered. "If that's what I think it is…"

"More than that. We must keep a careful eye on her." Asgore let out a shuddering breath, and seemed to grow smaller as he lowered his head.

"I believe she bears the risk of becoming… one of those creatures we faced under the mountain."

A strange silence fell over the group, before Neo took a shaky step back. "I'll head back-see if we can't end this quick so we can hurry her to a place that can help."

"Frisk…" Asgore whispered to himself, closing his eyes in an attempt to stem the tears. "Is this what happened to you? Have you already suffered the same fate as those we have fought underground?

"Were we too late?"

 

White flames sprung up on the ground, rushing forward like thundering waves, rising, and crashing down on abominations. At their source, as if the center of a fountain of flame, was the elemental fusion.

Red eyes were blazing embers, both lenses now shattered from battle. The forsaken creatures screamed and howled in pain and agony as the fusion tried to make their fiery death as quick and painless as possible.

His jack-o-lantern grin had been replaced with an angry scowl that was just as frightening. His looked around at the damage they left in their wake, and then Grillby started to move forward, leaving flaming footprints as the fires started to recede, the tails of the flame tail coat billowing behind him.

Charred bodies were everywhere, but with the Human's guidance, he calmly passed them by, his flames whipping about. He paused, hearing rapid footfalls...the fusion huffed in irritation, smoke emitting from his mouth as he turned.

An abomination plowed into him, shrieking as it took him down-blasting yellow magic at them. He cried out, but then the elemental's form completely vanished into pure fire and the creature hit the ground, as if nothing was there.

The broken glasses started to fall-only for a hand to grab them-the rest of the elemental forming moments later. The frown morphed back into a smile, before a chuckle emitted as he rose and turned as the abomination got up.

Grillby moved toward it, arms spread, the flames stronger on his forearms, as large fireballs hovered over his palms. "By all means, try again," Grillby replied. "We're fresh out of Mercy."

It sprung back up, and tore after him. The elemental tilted his head eerily, and then rushed forward. The next thing the Abomination knew, was that the flames were everywhere-and then-nothing.

The charred form collapsed, leaving the fusion standing in a desolated barren battlefield. He frowned, adjusting his glasses. This had not been what he was bargaining for...but...he heard more of them.

The elemental moved swiftly, the flames responding to his movements as he headed for another small cluster of them. At the last second, he sprung into the air above them. The creatures whirled in surprise, as the white being dropped down in the center of them-and let his flames run across the ground.

They turned to attack him-blasting varying magics at him...and he started to feel sluggish. Though he felt the Human soul countering it, and causing the creatures to slow instead. Blasts of orange and aqua came at him, though he ignored the orange. However, the aqua magic had his attention, as he couldn't obey the 'Don't Move' rule with his current form.

Thankfully, most fell to his flames before they would reach him. For as soon as one flame caught their form-it didn't take long for more to claim them, capturing them, ensnaring them-and bringing them down. In some ways, the fire was more like tar than an actual flame.

Grillby's smile vanished-turning into a slight frown as one of them collapsed at his feet. He knelt, a hand touching it briefly...the eyes narrowing into thin slits.

There was a whooshing noise from overhead and a few feet away, Vigil pile drove an abomination into the ground before jabbing it's chest wildly with his long, armored tail until the creature finally lay still.

The Shifter huffed in exertion, getting to his feet and stretching his shimmering, slightly translucent wings. He gave a disgusted grunt and wiped his tail off on the creature.

"I'm going to need a bath after this."

The elemental rose back up, turning to him. "Are you still faring well?"

The red light behind Vigil's visor intensified as he turned to Grillby.

"As well as I can be. It's a good thing these creatures appear to be mostly mindless, else this battle would be even more bloody. Fortunately, I think we're getting close to the source." He gestured forward.

"There's still a few creatures leaking out of the building Kid said the prince is being kept. Unfortunately, that does not bode well for him."

"Then we'll press forward," Grillby replied, clenching his fists in agitation, the orange scowl gaining tints of blue as he spoke.

Vigil nodded.

"Be ready though," he warned, extending his wings and crossing his arms in front of him. "Last I saw, another group of abominations was headed in this-"

The two whirled as they heard more screeching-before Grillby cried out in alarm as he felt his soul get tugged on, sending him slamming into a building wall as another abomination came at him.

As he tried to recover from getting flung, he heard something above its screeching. "Grillby!" Purple laced threads flew into the air-reminding one of a fisher's net as it came in front of the creature. Grillby pressed back against the wall, the webbing stopping the creature inches from his face, before it was yanked back.

It was sent skidding across the ground as someone dug in their heels to accommodate for its large size. In anger, it turned in its confinement-and lunged at Muffet. The spider jumped back, latching onto the side of a severely damaged wall-the rest of the building having given way in the attacks.

The creature plowed into it-causing it to shake and crumble down. The spider leapt off-only to cry out as she was forcefully yanked to the ground by an unseen force. Instantly, she rolled-narrowly avoiding getting pounced on. She managed to get on her hands and feet, and jumped again, this time, getting back up.

She summoned a thread, much like a lasso, the silk twirling as the creature came at her. She flung it, as she approached, and then jumped, vaulting over the creature as the lasso came around where its throat was-and it pulled tight. The creature hit the ground, desperately clawing at it as the magic closed tight.

Muffet kept her gaze elsewhere, her crimson eyes looking for other dangers, before her thread went slack...and she dropped it, knowing the thing had died. That allowed her to be on the move again-as Grillby was already back to fighting another one. Vigil fought not far away from her husband, keeping his arms crossed in front of him as he used his wings and tail to both deflect enemy attacks and strike back at the new wave of creatures.

She passed by several cocooned forms-all completely motionless. Back when she had fused the first time, both she and Grillby had been non-lethal as fusions. Sure, she ensnared humans in cocoons, but they had been unharmed when finally retrieved…

Today, the spider monster was tired of giving mercy if it simply allowed the same problem to come back like this. They had to take it out completely and utterly-so that Monsters could be safe...so that her daughter could grow up safe.

Upon thinking of her little one, she hissed softly, her fangs tinted purple at the tips. She heard another wailing screech and turned her focus to another one charging at her-seemingly springing out of nowhere...but Alma stirred. It slowed down...and Muffet sped up.

It went to leap-only to quickly meet the ground, it jerked, inspecting its feet that were suddenly stuck in sticky web. It tried to pull free, but the moment it lost its strength-the webbing stuck its feet back in place.

More webbing rose up, grabbing at its wrists, and yanking it down on all fours. The creature struggled-wailing as it spat out green energy, its magic unable to harm her. More threads sprung up, slowly cocooning it as Muffet quietly strode over to it, leaning in close.

The last thing it saw before the cocoon got over its eyes-were her fangs inching close to a soft spot on the side of its neck. The last thing it felt, was fiery venom racing through it...followed by an icy chill...and then nothing as death welcomed it.

As she rose, she jerked in alarm as the wall next to her shook for a brief moment before Kid came crashing through it, an abomination carried forward by his headlong charge and falling to the ground close to Muffet.

The brown-scaled reptile stepped on the writhing creature, pressing down with his foot and crushing the creature's ribs, stilling it. He turned, scanning the scene, his gaze locking upon a the group of creatures charging at Grillby and Vigil, their magic bursting out wildly.

**There's a lot of them coming,** Chara noted grimly. **Shall we try the thing again?**

Kid's crocodilian smile was terrifying, his red eyes lit up in excitement.

"Let's do this."

It was incredible, the power he felt pulsing within him. His soul and Chara's combined… it was like he could do anything. It was like-

**Focus, Kid!**

The fusion blinked and shook his head, then fired out a gout of flames at the grouping abominations to gain their attention. Most remained focused on their targets, but a few broke from the group to come towards Kid and Muffet. The reptile hunkered down, feeling the power swirling within him and focusing it into the ability he and Chara had discovered earlier.

His raw magic bled from his body, crackling and spitting around him until it seemed as though the very air around him had burst into flame. Then, in a sudden move, he transferred that energy a few feet away, where the fire magic reformed into an exact duplicate of himself made entirely of crackling yellow flames.

The boy could feel Chara's satisfaction within him as she puppeted the double to smash forth into the enemy, allowing Kid himself to provide supporting fire from a distance. They could hear the screams as the abominations fell under the assault, their numbers swiftly being whittled down between Vigil and the Fusions.

"I think we've got more than enough firepower to take these guys out, huh?" Kid joked aloud, hearing Chara's quiet groan within him.

The spider moved toward the reptile. "Are you alright?" she asked, with two of her crimson eyes shifting their gaze to where the others were fighting-though they were holding their own.

Kid shrugged, glancing briefly over to the spider Monster before returning his attention to his conjuration.

"Just a few scrapes and bruises… nothing I can't handle." He grinned. "Especially with Chara's help…"

She gave a hum, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're doing well-Let's group up with the others-the last thing we need is to be separated further."

Kid nodded.

"Right… I can do that," his smile grew sheepish for a brief moment. "Besides… I kinda got turned around, I don't remember where we were going…"

Up ahead, his conjuration crumbled and dissipated and Vigil fired a series of magical bolts from his tail in quick succession, piercing through the last abomination's skull.

Muffet hurried over, adjusting her now tattered shawl. "Grillby!"

The elemental turned, rising from a smoldering corpse, and met her halfway, drawing his arms around her protectively, glancing about for danger, before looking her over for injuries. "Are you hurt?" he asked, a thumb gently rubbing a smudge of dirt off her face.

She shook her head. "I'm fine," she assured. "What about you?"

He gave a soft chuckle. "You needn't worry, I've been handling things."

She glanced over his shoulder. "I can see that…"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because I worry regardless."

"These fusions bear substantial power," Vigil noted, folding his wings behind his back, the red glow behind his visor softening a little as he looked to the couple. "Would that my kind were able to achieve it."

"Uh, yo guys," Kid spoke up, prodded by Chara's mental reminders. "We should probably be going to get Frisk… You guys remember which way that is, right?"

Vigil pointed off to the right.

"I believe it is that way… if your defector is to be trusted."

There was a quiet whooshing sound, and Alphys swooped down, landing next to Kid, stumbling slightly in the landing. She caught herself quickly though, and looked to the others.

"Umm, you guys, Judgement is up ahead, she's taking on a whole group by herself! Though she seems to be handling them pretty well… and I think that's the last big group anyways… you know, unless there's more hiding somewhere…"

Grillby rose fully and then turned to her. "Lead the way, we'll aid her with the last of them so that we can find Frisk," he assured, the flames dancing erratically around his hands as Muffet stepped forth.

"A-alright! It's just past these buildings…" Alphys started moving forward, leading the others, though she didn't take to the air.

"I hope you guys still have magic left over… I'm pretty much out of all my energy…"

"Grillby will be the least of your worries in that regard," Muffet assured. "And I've still got a little fight left…"

They moved swiftly, the sounds of battle up ahead quickly becoming evident. As they passed through the ruined buildings, the sight of Judgement's battle met their eyes.

The fusion was surrounded by screeching creatures attempting to mob her as multicolored magics flew from the abominations to meet her. In the middle of it all, Judgement stood firm, letting out a mighty roar that shook the cavern around them.

Each of her four skeletal arms was moving on its own accord. With each motion, a different abomination's soul was exposed, turned blue, then flung violently through the air, the body forced to follow it. It was quickly whittling away at the abomination's numbers.

Judgement raised a hand, conjuring up a volley of spears that were hurled towards the nearest abominations, even as their magic left scorch marks on her armor. Several more creatures were felled by that volley with gurgling cries. Without giving them a chance to recover, she charged with surprising speed, both hands now resting on the hilt of the claymore.

The first swing released a wave of white-hot flames that swept across her foes. The next cleaved five of the creatures clean in half, sending them toppling to ground. Despite her attack, the remaining creatures were unfazed, and one leapt at her from the side, claws extended.

It froze in mid-air, however, as one of the skeletal hands made a fist, freezing it in time. Judgement ignored the now suspended creature, knocking away an abomination surrounded in a purple aura with the pommel of her weapon before kicking it away with enough force to send it plowing through two of of its brethren.

Claws raked at her armour, and magic shattered against it. None seemed to be able to do anything more than superficial damage against it, and Judgement was making quick work of the creatures.

Especially as her uppermost arms raised high, and six Gaster Blasters were summoned. Energy charged in their mouths, then beams of white light blasted forth, destroying the last remaining creatures that had still been putting up a fight.

The fusion turned towards the other Monsters, her three eyes blazing each with it's own color. Without even looking, she plunged her sword through the frozen abomination's chest, then let it fall lifelessly to the ground.


	38. Nothing but Pain

Muffet glanced to Alphys. "What was this 'needing our help'?" she half mused despite that they still came forward in case some stragglers decided to come forth. Not seeing any, she raised her voice. "How are you faring?"

Judgement shook her head.

"As well as I can be. I have never faced anything as horrific as these creatures. I would have thought they would be full of hate, rendering us vulnerable to them… but I sense nothing but pain from them all."

"W-well," Alphys began, tapping her hands nervously. "Whatever they're supposed to be, it didn't go the way it was planned, right? I mean… they probably weren't supposed to attack everything on sight…"

Grillby nodded slowly. "I thought them to be Beast Monsters, those driven on negative emotions, but...between their physicality, and what you just described...I fear we might be dealing with something darker…" His expression morphed into a scowl. "We need to find the boy swiftly."

"Yes," Judgement confirmed, her eyes narrowing in concern

Together, the group moved as fast as they could, following the directions the blue-eye had relayed to Kid. The cavern was eerily silent now, save for their running footsteps and the quiet flow of the river. Bodies were littered everywhere and the stench of death hung heavy in the air.

Quickly, they saw it up ahead, a small building set apart from the rest, nestled near the back of the cavern. Not far from it was a scattered group of dead abominations, seven in total.

The group would have just gone past, focused on their task, had Vigil not stopped with a start before tearing over to the scattered corpses and falling to his knees beside one. He pulled at the body, attempting to move it off of something.

Judgement hesitated before following him, tightening her grip on her still-drawn sword.

The fusions turned, with Grillby moving forth, raising a hand-perhaps partially to light up the area better-but mostly to prepare to blast something in the face if it tried to attack Vigil. "What is it…?" he asked.

Finally, Vigil managed to pull the abomination to the side. Underneath where it had been, lay a large cat-like Monster. Its scales were blackened and bloodied, and wounds covered its body.

Vigil gently rested a hand on its head.

"Deception…"

The creature opened golden eyes and weakly raised his head to look up at the Shifter.

"Vigil..." Deception's voice was dry and soft, and he let his head sink back down to the ground, as if that simple motion had exhausted him.

Muffet's thread vanished as her hands briefly drew to her face-before she raced forward with a soft sound of alarm.

Judgement came forward, sinking to one knee beside the fallen one and resting her own hand on him, her lower two eyes narrowing in concentration.

"You know him?"

Vigil nodded, not taking his eyes off the feline.

"He was the one I called to infiltrate the base, to try and find our people. He is one of the best spies I know… and my friend."

"Too many… creatures," Deception managed. "All at once… I'm sorry."

"Quiet," Vigil soothed, while Judgement let light shine from her palm, attempting to heal the myriad wounds on the felines body.

Deception tried to shake his head, the motion barely noticeable.

"Forget about...me. You must… must find the prince."

Muffet reached them. "Leave me with him...I may not know a lot of healing magic-but I can slow the damage that is being done, and buy him some time…"

Grillby's flames dimmed with concern, but he didn't argue. She was formidable-if something attacked, she could handle it.

"I will stay with you," Vigil declared. "There must be more healers up where the others have retreated to, yes? He should be fine if we can get him there."

Judgement inclined her head in agreement.

"Then we will go on without you. Be careful." With that, she turned to the building, sizing it up for a moment before heading to the door.

Grillby cast one last glance to his wife. She dipped her head, and then turned to tend to the wounded Shifter, while the elemental's flames danced quietly as he followed Judgement, the light becoming darker around him. Alphys and Kid followed cautiously behind.

The building's interior was small, and most of what space there was filled with various desks and chairs that had been smashed and carelessly thrown about. There were a few bloodstains on the cement floor and walls, though no sign of any bodies.

In the middle of the single room, was a set of stairs leading down, and it was here that the three remaining Monsters went. All was quiet, and the air seemed… colder down here somehow.

When they finally reached the bottom, they were greeted with a large room connected to three long corridors. Large metal doors lay on the ground, one still hanging slightly from the doorframe. Science equipment was scattered about, broken glass littering the floor. Four Humans were also on the floor, two wearing bloodstained lab coats, one dressed as a guard with a rifle lying close by, and a well-dressed man in a black suit lying face-down in a pool of his own blood.

"We need to cover as much ground as possible, as quickly as we can," Judgement murmured, looking at the three ways she could go."Alphys, stick with Grillby for now. Grillby, Kid, each of you take one of the corridors, and I will take the third."

"Right," Grillby started, and turned his gaze to Alphys briefly, before starting down one of the corridors, only giving a partial glance to the dead around him. The reptile scurried after him, while Kid took the middle route and Judgement the final one.

 

A door knob clattered to the floor, before the door was forced open. Grillby looked about, and then slowly entered. "Front area is empty…" he muttered to Alphys as he strode in. Everything in this room looked like...it was prepared for something. There were lines of metal tables in the middle of the room, and counters on the walls, with chemicals and more.

There was a door in the back that he made his way to...he opened it-giving a hiss as a cold wind hit his form. A freezer…

Chara shuddered within his form and he saw why. There were...bodies in there-and then he understood. They were preserved. His flames dimmed, and warily, he entered-praying that Frisk was not one of them.

While he studied the freezer, Alphys went to the metal tables around the middle of the room, resting an armored hand on one of them. It was… so familiar.

She scanned the room, and started, her eyes widening behind her helmet. She made her way over to one of the cupboards, opening it and searching around inside before pulling out a vial of blue liquid.

She hurried over to the freezer and poked her head inside.

"Grillby?"

She found him at the far back, turning slowly to her, his flames seeming odd with the cold air constantly blowing against his form. "What is it?" he asked, approaching her as he did.

"T-take a look at this," she stammered, activating a few systems within her suit to keep away the cold. "Does this seem, umm… familiar?"

He frowned, leaning forward, taking it quietly. "It...feels familiar," he admitted, studying it closely.

"I think it's… magic. Liquid magic, extracted from… something. I've never seen anything like this before…"

Grillby frowned, and took it. "I...it feels like an old…" The flames halted their movement.

"...Sans. This is Sans's..."

Alphys froze, and this time, the cold had nothing to do with it.

"Your Sans?"

Grillby nodded. "This is his magic…" he stated slowly.

"They were doing something with magic here," Alphys murmured softly to herself. "And all those... those creatures originated from here. They were experimenting on something… something that went horribly wrong." Her fists clenched as memories washed over her.

Grillby stiffened, and then gently nudged her out of the freezer, closing it. "Alphys...when...I was fighting them, something felt off. I felt like...I felt like I was fighting old friends…"

The reptile didn't want to believe it, but all of her data was pointing towards a single conclusion.

"Those creatures.. They had far more physicality than any Monster I've seen… even from your side. They… they were Humans, weren't they?"

Grillby nodded slowly. "I think...I'm starting to see just what they were…"

Alphys hesitated.

"Wasn't that what Overwatch wanted?" She trembled slightly, her voice hitching as she spoke. "To give Humans magic again?"

"...Alphys-a lot of magic in one of our Humans can be taxing, and they can house magic. Your Humans...if they've never had magic to begin with…" His hands trembled and he nearly dropped the vial.

"We need to find him."

"We need to try," Alphys agreed slowly. She looked away, tears brimming in her eyes behind her helm. "But… I think we already did."

Grillby was silent for several long moments.

"Pray that isn't the case," he managed, his voice wavering along with his flames.

 

Judgement hurried down the corridor, banging open doors as she came to them, peering around inside before continuing on her search. She still didn't understand all the tech around them, the strange pods that had been smashed open, the bloody metal tables with frayed straps, the syringes lying discarded and broken on the floors. None of it meant anything to her. Her only driving focus was to find Toriel's son.

_This doesn't look good, dammit!_ Undyne growled, frustrated by yet another empty room.

_We have to keep looking,_ Toriel insisted, trying to keep her voice steady. _Maybe the others are having more luck._

"We can hope," Judgement muttered. Sans had been strangely silent since just before they had descended into the building, though the fusion could tell he was still on the alert, which she appreciated.

They were nearing the end of the corridor, Judgement could see four more doors up ahead. Reaching the first one, she opened it to find her eyes greeted by another, shorter hallway. She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether to explore the rest of the main hallway before going in.

In the end, she decided to get this smaller hall over with first. She hurried in, her heavy boots crunching on shattered glass from the broken bulbs overhead. There was only one door in this hallway, hanging slightly ajar.

She pushed it the rest of the way open, and her eyes widened at the sight before her. There was a larger room, cut in half with a wall with a large window taking up most of the middle of it. A few scientist bodies were scattered about a door right beside the window.

On the other side, she saw him. Frisk, his shirt torn and bloodied, and his skin deathly pale. He lay still, strapped into a metal table in the middle of the other room, surrounded by machinery and other equipment.

_Frisk!_ Toriel's image immediately appeared before Judgement and phased through the wall to get to her son. Being unable to do the same, Judgement instead took the door. Finding it locked, she punched a hole through the metal and tore the door off it's hinges, casting it carelessly aside before running in, past more bloodstained corpses, not taking note of the purple-tinged foam clinging to their lips.

As she reached where Toriel stood next to the Human teen, Frisk's eyes snapped open and his back arched as a bloodcurdling scream tore from his lips. He began spasming violently, the tight straps cutting into his flesh everywhere they held him down. His eyes were wide, but unseeing, and blood began to trickle from them, running down his face and leaving red trails behind.

_Frisk!_

_What the hell?_

_Oh, kiddo…_

Judgement acted swiftly, ignoring the other's voices and dropping her sword, putting her hands on the boy and pouring forth her healing magic into him. Suddenly, Toriel screamed;

_Don't! Stop it!_

Startled, the fusion pulled her hands away, then recoiled in horror as she saw both spots her hands had been. Instead of healing him, her magic had had the opposite effect. In both spots there were welts that were already beginning to blister and weep pus.

"How…"

_Look at his soul,_ Sans said grimly. _You see all that magic, warring within him? It's tearing him apart as it is. Put more magic in his system and… well._

_Oh gods… oh gods… Frisk…_ Toriel was shuddering, tears running down her image's face, flinching at each renewed scream from the boy.

_We can't just stand here! We have to do something!_ Undyne shouted.

_We need to find Alphys,_ Sans stated evenly. _Focus on that for now. No one's gonna be helped if we panic._

 

Grillby's fire went wild as he whipped around. He didn't need to even shout at Alphys as they both crashed into the hallway-having briefly split up to look at different rooms. Flames were left trailing after the elemental as they tracked down the cries, and it didn't take long to track. They ran down the hall, sliding-and nearly crashing into Kid as they did.

They finally entered the room-all three sliding to a halt, catching sight of the boy...and horror swept through them.

Judgement turned to them. The lights in her eyes had dimmed, but they sparked again at seeing them.

"Alphys, we need your help."

The reptile was stunned still for a moment, staring at Frisk.

"Alphys!"

She jerked.

"R-right!" she hurried over to Frisk, trying to keep herself away from the teen's violent flailing. Toriel's image was on the other side of the boy, attempting to whisper words of comfort to him through her tears.

Alphys scanned him quickly, wincing at the data her suit fed to her.

"We need to get him back to my lab. The big one. I-I might need Mettaton's help too."

"Done," Judgement said immediately."Everyone, gather round, quickly!"

There was no argument as they all rushed forward. Kid's eyes were wide on his friend, and he could feel Chara's presence in the back of his mind, moaning softly at the sight.

"Yo, is he gonna be okay?" he asked as all four of Judgement's skeletal arms splayed out, magic crackling around them.

Alphys's voice was grim as she replied.

"Only if we're fast enough."

 

Up above, outside the entrance to the tunnel, most of the group was resting or speaking quietly amongst themselves. That all changed in a moment when suddenly, in their midst, Kid, Judgement, Grillby and Alphys appeared, as well as Frisk, still strapped onto the table. The screams emanating from the boy were enough to startle anyone who had drifted off from their slumber.

The little fusion jerked in alarm as the cries rang out-but Neo was already on the move. There was someone in pain-it was instinct at this point to rush over and help. His eyes were glowing as he raced to the boy. "Heavens-what has happened!?" he demanded, though his scans were already giving him a decent amount of information.

"Mettaton, I need you to come with us!" Alphys ordered. "I'll explain in a minute, but we have to get to my lab, I don't think we have much time!"

"Do as you need," the robot responded earnestly, while the young Frisk listened in horror to their counterpart, dread sinking into them.

Judgement laid hands on Neo, Alphys and the metal bed, and just like that, the three were gone, as swiftly as they arrived. Asgore stood frozen where he had half stood, staring numbly at the point where they had just been.

"You guys," Kid spoke up. "We should get back to the city…"

Grillby strode over, resting a hand on Asgore's shoulder. "He's in good hands...let's head back as quickly as we can." He glanced to the girl, frowning briefly. "We'll handle everything after that," he assured.

The former king shook himself.

"Yes… you are right." He looked around. "Is everyone ready to go?"

There was a chorus of agreements, except for Michael. "I need to go get Jeremiah," he called. "He's probably trying to hurry over...just go on ahead."

William frowned. "Are you sure?"

"We'll go too slow-the rest of you need to hurry back. We can find the city and work things out from there," the young man assured, before rushing back. "Jeremiah!"

"Then let us move out." Asgore looked around. "Anyone who is still wounded, or unfit to run, we will carry. Anything else can be dealt with later."

There were no arguments, wounded were swiftly gathered up, and the group, as a whole, began to make the trek back. Battered-but doing their best to not let that slow them down.


	39. Not your Fault

Judgement sat on the steps just outside Alphys's laboratory. The reptile and the robot had taken Frisk into the depths of the lab to do everything that they could to save him. If she listened closely, she thought she could still faintly hear the teen's screams in the background, despite there being several layers of concrete in between them now.

But currently she was facing an inner turmoil, and the three souls within her were not helping that any.

 _Please,_ Toriel begged. _I need to be able to do something. Anything! Please, let us return to our own bodies._

 _ **I have not had my day yet,**_ Judgement replied internally.

 _You can have your day whenever!_ Undyne fumed. _There's too much we gotta do right now for us to be like this._

 _ **And what exactly can you do now?**_ the fusion asked, shifting under the weight of her armor. _**Your son is being tended to, and healing magic cannot aid him now. It is better to let them finish their work in peace, for now.**_

 _Listen, Judgement,_ Sans spoke up. _You want your day, right? That was the deal?_

_**Yes.** _

_Well, how much fun is your one day gonna be with a bunch of worried Monsters in your head? We're not happy, you'll feed off our emotions, ergo, you're not happy. Better to let it go and wait till you can properly enjoy it, right? Once all this is settled. Besides, we've drained a lot of magic. Do you really want to walk around bone tired?_

Judgement was silent, torn under the weight of their argument. She needed her day, but…they were making several points, and the magic was starting to fray. She couldn't even manage another teleport.

 _I know my powers take a little getting used to…_ the skeleton continued. _You should have seen me after my first teleport. You're powerful, but… They can hit you in unexpected ways when you're not used to them._

 _We can summon you again._ Toriel's voice was soft and tear-stained. _We will give you your day… a week, whatever you desire. Just please… not now. I… I cannot…_

 _We don't want to back out on the deal,_ Sans supplied. _Just let us finish this, then we'll uphold our end of the bargain._

Judgement closed her three eyes, then let out a long sigh.

"Very well, then." While she spoke aloud, her voice was a near-whisper. "Do… do what you must."

_Thank you._

She could feel the relief and gratitude pouring off the souls and knew that she had done the right thing. Still, that did not offer her any comfort. She opened her eyes and looked about longingly for a brief moment. Then she stood, raised her hands, and released the magic holding them all together.

There was a brilliant flash, and then… nothing.

Sans, Undyne and Toriel all stumbled out of the light, exactly as they had been when they fused together. Toriel sank to her knees, unable to keep them under her for the moment while Sans leaned against a wall and Undyne held her own knees, breathing harshly.

THe sword that Judgement had wielded clattered to the ground beside the former queen, who would have reached for it, had she the strength.

After a moment, Sans came over to where Toriel knelt. He put a hand on the trembling woman's shoulder.

"C'mon Tori. Let's get you home, huh?"

"I… I have to stay with Frisk." Toriel managed, trying to keep the tears from her voice, as she could do nothing about the ones flowing through her fur.

"Course ya do. But better to get everything set up and ready first, right? Maybe we make a pie, get some blankets, that kinda thing. Then we'll be right back over for you to welcome Frisk back once Alphys and Mettaton fix him up good."

"Perhaps you are right…" Toriel admitted after a moment.

"Course I am." The skeleton motioned Undyne over. "Gimme a hand here, will ya? Think it's gonna take the three of us to get back to Tori's place alright."

"You can't just teleport us there?" Undyne half joked, picking up the fallen blade before coming over and putting one of Toriel's arms over her shoulder, helping her stand.

"Not at the moment, no. Maybe when we come back." Sans pressed up on the other side of Toriel, giving her some extra balance. "Alright, easy does it…"

 

Gerson had been set on the couch of the Dreemurr's home...he had drifted in and out on the way back, paying only vague attention to what was going on around him. Now, forms were limp in chairs and anywhere that looked halfway comfortable… No one else was greatly wounded, but everyone was exhausted…

Grillby and Muffet seemed to stay in their fusions-being some of the few who were still on their feet...likely fearing that they'd have no energy at all if they let their Human souls go.

It was good though, as they could keep going while the others had given all they had...he had woken when he had been placed there, and was now listening to frantic movements of Toriel. He kept his eyes closed, but he listened to her pattering worriedly about...until he finally realized she would be leaving again. However...he was old, and he had seen another woman in a similar situation to her, and if he wasn't careful…

He closed one hand tight as he fought with himself, slowly standing up, and managing his way to the front door as swiftly as he could-managing to get there as she got off the porch, the door nearly closing.

"Toriel," he called, stepping into the night, catching up to her, and then, gently grabbing her free hand to make sure he had her.

The Boss Monster paused, looking back at the turtle, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Gerson," She pulled free of his hand. "I need to get out there, you should be resting. We can talk another time."

"Toriel, I know you want to rush back to your son-I know you want to help him in every way you can. But he's in good hands, and if I don't talk to you, and things fall apart-I'm going to be kicking myself for the rest of my life."

Toriel hesitated, indecision clear in her eyes. Finally, she asked;

"Can you walk and talk at the same time?"

The turtle dipped his head. "I can manage a bit more walking," he assured, already moving down the walkway, knowing she wanted to hurry.

Toriel nodded at him and set off. Despite her obvious desire to hurry, she kept her pace slow enough that the turtle didn't lag behind.

The turtle was considerate though, walking as fast as his body allowed him...but he was old and weary, and no longer the agile soldier he had been. "Toriel," he started. "I know this is trying...we both know this all too well." For he remembered the days when Chara had fallen ill...and the days that followed. Never had he seen the royal family so broken…

Never would he have thought he'd see it crumbling down.

And he wouldn't allow that to happen twice.

Toriel's face twisted in grief, and her hands twitched, loosely grasping at nothing. But she remained silent.

"But Toriel," he managed softly. "I beg of you-no matter what tomorrow brings...they can't lose you. Asgore...Chara…" His expression softened, but it was full of sadness. "Your little Rias...they're going to need you, no matter what. So please...no matter what fate decides here...don't dare lose yourself."

He sighed. "We need you to stay strong…"

Toriel was silent for a few moments, the only sound being the gentle breeze brushing against her robe.

"Nine," she whispered, her voice just on the edge of Gerson's hearing.

He closed his eyes for a moment. "...I know…" he responded.

"... I cannot lose another one, Gerson," her voice broke, and though she kept walking, her eyes filled with the tears that had been close at hand since the battle. "My soul can only be stitched together so many times."

"And I don't want you to have to go through that one more time," Gerson stated. "And I'm praying that those two will save him. For now, while he's still alive...don't crumble before a fate is sealed. I don't want to lose you twice, M'Lady…" It slipped-the old habit from so long ago.

The former queen managed a nod.

"I can hold on… for now. But even the thought that he could be taken from me…" she shuddered. "When the anger is gone… only the grief remains."

He looked to her quietly. "I know," he managed. "But I beg of you...hold together. I know...I understand that grief. But…" He shook his head. "Dammit, as insufferable as you two are…"

The Boss Monster managed a smile.

"Never one for public affection, were you?"

"I couldn't go two feet without it with you two," the turtle replied with a wry smirk. "Though we did get King Fluffybuns out of that, so not a complete loss…"

Toriel shook her head slowly, and her smile faded.

"I cannot make any promises, Gerson," she spoke softly, looking away. "But I will try."

"I'm afraid that's all I can really ask of you…"

Toriel let out a short breath.

"Then you should probably return to the house. You obviously still need rest."

"Just take care of yourself, all right? We'll worry about the homefront."

Toriel nodded briskly, then increased her pace, quickly leaving the aging turtle behind.

He slowed, and stopped, watching her until she was out of sight. He tilted his head back, looking at the sky. "For the love of the gods, don't let me lose them all again." For love was a set of dominos when it came to Monsters. Should one fall...the others were bound to follow.

The turtle turned, and started his slow trek back, praying for morning to bring a better day.

 

Little Frisk tilted their head up at the entrance to the lab. They quickly ducked in-dodging others as they did. They had snuck off on Rex after the reptile finally fell asleep. They bit their lip, a hand over their stomach. They felt sick...and they tugged on their hood to hide their red splotched, tear stained face.

He was here…

They swallowed hard, and sought him out, their breathing ragged, as they trekked with unsteady steps.

As they ventured through the halls of the lab, Frisk thought back to the clamor at the house. Apparently, Neo had been seeking out a magic drainer, but the monsters had been sure that if there had been any in the base, they were all destroyed by those...those _things._ Though Frisk's Dogaressa instantly set out to get the one that resided in Frisk's world in the hopes she could make it back in time.

The little fusion hoped so.

Several rooms into the lab, far from where the others were setting up for the night, they found him. Leaning against the wall of a hallway that led to an elevator, his sockets half closed, his hands buried deep in his hoodie pockets. Sans.

Frisk halted, looking away, before shuffling over, reaching out, and touching his arm, before yanking back, as if they had touched hot metal.

Sans looked down tiredly at the little one.

"Hey bucko," he murmured.

They kept their head down, staring intently at the floor, opening their mouth to speak-but the words caught in their throat as they tried to force them out as their little form trembled.

A squeak managed to get through before they managed to look up-their eyes dim...their colorful tears streaming down. "I-I'm sorry," they choked, their breathing becoming more ragged as they continued. "I'm sorry th-that my world k-keeps doing this to you…" Their shoulders jerked as a little hiccup escaped them.

"As s-soon as we can, I pr-promise we'll l-l...leave, and we won't come back this time, I swear-we won't break it anymore!"

Sans was still for a moment, before reaching out and pulling the child into a hug.

"Kiddo, you're not the one who should be apologizing here." The child gave a ragged gasp, stiffening in his hold as they looked up at him in confusion, minding their horns so that they didn't hit them against his skull. They tried to speak, but they had spent all their coherent words.

Sans pulled back a little but didn't relinquish his hold on the little Frisk.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly, looking the child straight in their dual-colored eyes. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Just like it wasn't last time."

They blinked several times, jerking as another hiccup escaped them. "But…" they feebly started.

"I was wrong," Sans stated firmly. "To make it seem like you were to blame. To send you away the way I try to cut off all contact through the Rift. All of it."

They shook their head, sniffling. "The Beasts were from my side...these Humans were from my side-I…"

"That doesn't make it your fault. Or your responsibility. Besides, this whole 'magic injection' thing was our Human's contribution. You've suffered here too, and what happened to our Frisk, and Chara, wasn't because of you."

"I j-j-just wanted to bring Chara back...I j-just...wanted to...h-have…" They finally just buried their face into him, knowing he was right, but that didn't change. "I th-thought you…" they whimpered-albeit the words were now muffled. They knew what Gaster had said...but it was different when it was finally coming from Sans.

"I was gonna bring all this up earlier." Sans gently stroked the little fusion's back for a few moments. "But I didn't get the chance. Listen, no one blames you for any of this. You don't have to feel guilty about it."

If the child said anything coherent, it was completely muffled by his hoodie as they latched onto him, clinging so tight, as if to make sure they didn't lose him.

Sans held onto the child for a while. After a time, he murmured;

"No one wants you to leave. If anything, right now… we need you guys."

Frisk moved their head just enough so that they could be heard. "I-if-if you w-want...we...can...try to help," they managed, their voice still strained as they forced words out.

"Good." Sans squeezed the child a little tighter. "Toriel, Asgore and Chara… they're all in rough shape now. They need all the comfort they can get. And I'm sure after what you just went through, you wouldn't mind some too."

Another hiccup escaped them as they went to speak again. "I-if I can get s-some magic back...the oth-others can help...they'll know m-more…"

"Fraid I can't help with that, but if you need anything, let me know." Another squeeze. "I'm here for ya."

They nodded against him-their grip loosening...but they didn't let go. After everything...they were content to stay put.

"...thank you…"


	40. Wake Up

Down in the basement of her main lab, the same place where she had built her exo-suit and Undyne's DT recycler, Alphys was now desperately trying to save the life of the boy who had single-handedly freed all Monsters from their prison.

A task that was made more difficult by the constant, agonized screaming coming from him as he thrashed about, his flesh raw and bleeding where it rubbed against the straps holding him in place. She would have liked to get him somewhere a little more comfortable, but with his violent flailing, it would do more harm than good to remove his restraints.

Several machines surrounded the metal bed, hooked up to the teen, monitoring the myriad reactions going on within him. She rubbed her forehead in a feeble attempt to get rid of the forming headache and glanced nervously at the displays. None of them told her anything good.

Neo stood close to the boy, his eyes seemingly vacant as he performed rapid calculations-and he wasn't turning up anything good. They had attempted draining the magic from the boy, but with the turmoil within him, they hadn't succeeded. In a desperate attempt, he even looked up the blueprints to Undyne's recycler-there was the soft scrape of metal as he clenched his hand.

"D-dammit…" Alphys checked and re-checked her equipment. "I don't… I don't know what to do! Is there anything else we haven't tried yet?"

Neo's eyes didn't change, but he responded. "I'm calculating-but we simply don't have the _time_. If we're going to save him, we have to do it _now_. Even a sliver of an idea is something at this point!"

"I don't... " she gestured helplessly. "The only thing still keeping him alive is his Determination right now." She looked over at one of the displays set around the writhing teen. "It's keeping the magic from fully taking effect on his body… if we could boost it somehow, but I don't have any Determination on hand anymore, and it takes a long time to harvest it from Humans…"

"If we could get Chara and Alma here, he might have a chance, they're nothing _but_ Determination!"

"They're still with Grillby and Muffet right?" Alphys asked in a rush. "If you can contact them, maybe we can-"

One of the machines began beeping harshly, and Alphys cut herself off to scurry over. Her eyes widened on seeing the display and she frantically began tapping away on buttons on it.

"No no no no no no no!"

Another machine, one monitoring the Human's heart beat, went out of control as Frisk's heart rate skyrocketed.

"Frisk!" Neo exclaimed. Even if he sent messages out now-

They wouldn't get here in time.

Suddenly, the teen arched his back as far as it would go, straining against his bonds. He let out a final shriek, then slumped back against the metal bed as his heart flatlined.

Alphys cried out, and if there were words within her cry, they were indecipherable. Desperately she called forth her magic, electricity crackling at her fingertips. She scrambled next to the teen, slapping his chest with her charged hand, sending shudders throughout his body.

"No! Wake up! Wake up, dammit!"

Neo drew a hand away from the boy, but he desperately scanned him over. "Come on, Frisk," he stressed.

Again and again Alphys charged her hands and slammed them into the teen's chest, but there was no response save for the shuddering of his muscles as the electricity ran through him. Finally, Alphys collapsed onto the bed, her forehead resting on his chest as she sobbed.

Neo's eyes dimmed, and he moved forward, gently placing a hand on Alphys as he looked down at them in silence. What could he say…?

There weren't any words…

"Dammit… Dammit!" the reptile slowly got herself under control, pulling back from the teen's body. "I… I failed…"

"...you...you did what you could," Neo managed, keeping his voice steady. "We just didn't have the time…" He sighed. "Alphys...you…" He paused. She needed rest, but he needed a way to word it.

"Oh gods…" Alphys covered her face with her hands. "What am I supposed to tell Toriel? How am I supposed to tell them that... that I couldn't do anything again?" she closed her hands into fists and started beating against her head. "Stupid, stupid…"

Hands grabbed her wrists, as Neo forcefully turned her, kneeling to be at her eye level. "Alphys."

Alphys refused to look at him, turning her lowered head away.

"Don't you do this to me," Neo replied, gently grabbing her chin, coaxing her back. "I am not having two of you blaming yourselves for things that have spiraled out of everyone's control...Alphys…" He drew her close, wrapping his arms around her. "You _tried_. You did what you could, and _I'm sorry_ , but please, please, _please_ , don't do this to yourself."

"It's my job to help people," Alphys whispered brokenly, her arms hanging limp at her sides. "And every time I try, I-" she cut off with a choked sob.

"You can't...save everyone," Neo managed. "But...you have saved lives-and I'll always stand my ground on that with you."

"I… I…"

The reptile sniffed, reaching a hand around Neo to rub at her snout. Then she sniffed again, her expression changing. "Is...is something… burning?"

Neo's head instantly whipped up, his fear being that a machine had given out after everything they had put the room through. There was a fire… but it was not centred on any of the machines.

Somehow... it was Frisk's body that had been set aflame. Fire crackled and licked merrily across his unmoving body, snapping at the straps and spreading across his form. Already, most of him was obscured by flames.

Alphys tried to turn from the position Neo was holding her in.

"W...what is it?"

Neo gave an alarmed shout, and rose. "Alphys!" He looked around for any immediate aid to the fire. There had to be an extinguisher somewhere-

Alphys turned... and stared in shock as the crackling flames licked higher, now obscuring the teen completely from view. Some of the flames were spreading across the metal bed, which was heating up quickly.

In his frantic searching, Neo saw an extinguisher hanging on a far wall. He bolted for it, wrenching it from its spot. "Alphys, step back!" he hollered. That seemed to snap the reptile out of it and she scurried away, just as a pillar of flame erupted from Frisk, hitting the ceiling with a sudden roar-a blast of heat hitting the robot's face, blowing his hair back.

The robot stared in alarm, trying to figure out where to even aim, before blasting directly at the table.

The moment the spray caught the pillar it vanished. No fires were left in its wake, perhaps due in part to Neo's blast. All that remained of the fire were the scorch marks upon the ceiling. But the most alarming sight was that the boy... was gone.

In his place was a large bird with golden feathers tipped with red. It lay on its back, wings widespread, it's head and curved beak lolling against the scorched and slightly melted table.

Alphys blinked slowly.

"What… just happened?"

Neo slowly stepped forward. "Stay back…" he managed as his eyes glowed-a scan starting.

Despite his warning, Alphys hurried forward, checking on her machines. None of them were still physically hooked up, but a couple of them had been wirelessly doing their scanning. One of these had been the machine watching his magic and Determination levels

Alphys went to that one, checking the display and fiddling with one of the dials.

"M-Mettaton… are you… are you seeing this?"

"I...I think I do…" he managed numbly.

"T-these readings… this soul… I only saw anything like it before when I…" She trailed off for a moment, swallowing, then continued in a near-whisper. "When I scanned Toriel and Asgore…"

The robot nodded slowly, looking at the creature in stunned amazement. "He's…He's a...Boss Monster…I..."

Alphys bit her lip, fiddling with the machine a bit more and muttering to herself as different results came up.

"White soul… No sign of Determination… a-and somehow, his magical signature looks like something from our side, e-even though it was from magic from yours…." She bit her lip even harder, staring at the data before turning to look at Neo

"W-well… unless you have any theories… I have two ideas of what could have happened here…"

"I've got enough scientific know-how to manage a lab...that's the extent of my knowledge here…"

The reptile began rubbing her hands together nervously, shooting periodic glances at the bird.

"W-well… the first is that… for some reason… after Frisk d-died, something switched with him."

"Possibly due to the excess magic in him," Neo replied. "Then...the second?"

"The… the second is that he actually transformed into this himself. N-not consciously of course, but..." she fell silent for a moment, trying to get her various theories in order.

"Perhaps a last ditch effort to avoid dying…" he mused, gently resting a hand on the bird.

"W-well, that's just the thing. We've all seen what Determination can do, but what it is, at it's very core… is a survival mechanism." She gestured to one of her machines. "Before… it was fighting the magic, keeping it from taking him over. But it was… losing. Too much magic, not enough Determination… and his body just couldn't handle the foreign presence.

"What if, at the last moment… it stopped fighting and instead… accepted the magic? Used the last of it's power to change both it and Frisk into a format that would keep him alive?"

"That...would certainly explain a few things," Neo assured.

Alphys shrugged helplessly.

"Maybe? I… I've never seen anything like this before. It could be anything… E-even if it's the best-case scenario… I mean, he died, and then was transformed into that. He might not be the Frisk we know… if that even is still him."

The robot sighed slowly. "I feel we…" He tapped his fingers. "We don't say anything until we have a few more answers. Once he wakes up we can...we can sort things out further. Unless you have an idea on how to tell others…" He motioned to the golden avian.

The reptile nodded swiftly.

"I was thinking the same thing. I... I know they're worried right now, but if we give them false hope and then it gets shattered…" Alphys trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Precisely…" Neo gave a hum. "I... Alphys...I can handle the rest of the night from here. You need some rest."

"I… I'm fine," the reptile protested.

Neo sighed, getting back to her level. "Alphys, you've had a long, long night. I can recharge with ease-you can't. Go home and rest so that you're awake in the morning, all right? I'll call if something changes."

"Are… are you sure," Alphys still hesitated, not really wanting to leave. "I… I'm used to long days and late nights…"

"Yes-when you're not in battle...Alphys, please, get some rest."

The reptile slowly deflated, reluctantly giving in.

"O… okay…"

 

Neo frowned as he adjusted the protective casing on his side. He had spent most of the night near Frisk, but mending his battered form. Though, as he learned, self maintenance was difficult to manage...he could see why his counterpart simply relied on Alphys.

"Neo-"

"Ah." Neo perked, remembering he was on call with his cousin. "Yes?"

"I'm...I'm sorry Dogaressa couldn't get the magic extractor all that quickly… I've been hearing things aren't...going well at the lab."

"Could be better-but I'm sure Dogaressa did her best. She's a fast monster. It's not like we could have salvaged anything from the base in time either…"

"I know, but...and...I've been hearing there's another problem…"

Neo frowned. "Yes...the red eye...we didn't find him. Actually...I think there's quite a handful of humans who escaped us due to him."

"Oh...oh no, he's still out there!? But-" The ghost started fretting.

"We may not know where the Red Eye is, Blooky-but Vigil was able to get that Blue Eye to confirm the death of the Overwatch Leader. The two were just looking for a Magic Drainer that hadn't been torn to pieces. Instead, they found that man in a ...well, nasty business really."

The ghost gave a quiet little moan.

"Looking on the bright side of morbid things-it looks like he was one of the first to die to these creatures. Honestly, seems like the universe can have a sense of humor at times."

"...I don't find it funny though...and...what are we going to do with the rest of this? With those who aren't...dead?"

"I believe-" Neo gave a grunt as he fought with a loose screw. "Once we all recover from this little crusade, we'll go about hunting them. Now...ah-ha. Good as new," he muttered as everything slipped back into its proper place.

"Oh...there's...that. I wish I could help."

"Actually," Neo replied. "It just occured to me. Go find William at the human hospital."

"Is he hurt-"

"No, but...Blooky, we found a human, who...was injected with your magic."

"What!? My magic-how!?"

"Apparently not all of it was still in the weapon I recovered…"

"But-I was being told it wasn't compatible-"

"It isn't. And she's a young girl. Go to the hospital. If there's anyone who can help her…"

"On it!" With that, the ghost was gone.

Neo smiled, before he turned, glancing to the strange bird.

It could have been a trick of the light, or the long night but… he swore he could see the bird's chest move.

Slowly, the robot rose, moving closer to the table, resting his hands on it as he watched the avian in concern.

There was a barely audible groan, and slowly, ponderously, the bird's eyes opened, revealing bleary golden pupils.

Neo's eyes flickered. "...Frisk…?" he asked uncertainly.

There were a few more slow blinks, and the Monster's eyes seemed to clear. He didn't raise his head however.

"Well," he croaked finally. "As dreams go, I'd rather have a pretty girl on either side, but I'll settle for this."

Neo rolled his eyes. "Nice to know I'm appreciated…" A relieved smile came to him. "You stay put, all right? You're safe now." He had to contact Alphys…

"Don't think you have to worry about that…" the bird murmured, slowly moving his eyes around. "I can't figure out how to move anything anyways… this gonna be one of those ones where I'm just watching everything go by? Cause boy have I had enough of those…"

While Neo prepared to contact the reptile, he looked back over, trying to figure out how one would explain this… As he heard someone pick up on the other end, his eyes brightened slightly. "Alphys...now would be a wonderful time to come back down."

"D-did something happen?" there was the sound of clattering from the other end. "I-I'm on my way!"

"Everything's in one piece-don't hurt yourself," the robot assured, his gaze continuously going back to the former boy.

"Hey, is that Alphys?" Frisk called weakly. "Tell her to give Undyne a kiss before she leaves the house!"

"I hope you heard that, Darling."

"U-um, I heard something," there was the sound of shuffling of clothing from the other end. "I-is someone else there?" there was a pause, then an excited; "Did he wake up?!"

"Yes-he wants you to kiss your wife before you leave…" Neo smirked. "Which I fully support, Darling~"

There was a short, incoherent burst of mumbling from the other side of the phone, and Neo could practically see the flush coming to her scales. Neo chuckled. "Always so endearing, darling."

"W-well, that sounds like him anyways…" Alphys mumbled. "H-hang, on, I'll be there soon."

With that, there was a click and the line went dead.

"I'll have to get Undyne's report later, I suppose." He moved back to Frisk. "I passed the message on-though we may have only succeeded in breaking the poor thing."

"Eh, if she didn't go through with it, Undyne'll make up for it later on," Frisk attempted a smile, but didn't quite manage it.

"My everything feels really weird…"

Neo leaned forward a little. "I know...you've been through a lot, but you're safe here. Alphys will come and we'll start sorting this out the best that we can, all right, Frisk?"

"Hey, whatever makes you happy. Not like I can do anything about it. Kinda wish I wasn't aware about the whole dream thing, but I'll take a respite regardless."

Neo gave a soft look of concern. Part of him wanted to reach out and gently rest a hand on Frisk's head...the other didn't want to startle the boy with his strange form until he had some form of backup.

"Got any food on hand though?" Frisk asked, clacking his beak awkwardly. A confused look crossed his face but he decided to ignore it. "Let me tell you, everything I've eaten so far… well, let's just say I never thought I'd have a meal where the plate tasted better than the food."

"We'll get you some food soon," Neo assured. "I'm sure you mother has some Butterscotch Cinnamon pie on stand by."

"Now that's what I call a last meal…" the avian chuckled half-heartedly.

Neo shook his head. "Let's not have it be the last for the time being, all right, Darling? Your mother would have my head."

"Heh, probably mount it on the wall…" Frisk groaned, and his feathers twitched but he still seemed unable to move.

"Do me a favor, Darling, and don't give her ideas." _She'll probably have my head anyways at this point…_ He turned, looking to the boy. "You've got everyone worried...goodness knows our Frisk isn't taking this well. You're likely going to get grounded for scaring us like that."

"Oh no, forced to stay in my own house on my own bed after being kidnapped and experimented on by freaks again. What crueller fate could possibly be in store for me?" Frisk let out a little sigh. "I don't think I would ever want to leave the house again if I could get back to it… more than enough adventures for me, thanks."

"Once Alphys and I deem you're all right, that's probably where you're going," Neo assured. "I'm just glad you've woken up…"

Frisk's eyes closed, filling up with hot tears that started trickling down his face.

"That would be amazing…"

"Frisk, you're not dreaming, Darling," Neo replied. "We figured out where you were-we've rescued you, our Frisk, William...and some young girl that was in that dreadful place as well...rest assured, your Mother…" There was a weary chuckle. "Well...none of those buildings are standing now, let's just say that…"

"You don't need to lie to me, Neo," Frisk whispered. "I can still feel the table they put me on, I know I'm not really here. You didn't see everything they did to me, I… I know I'm not going to survive long enough to be rescued." He opened wet eyes and tried another smile. "But… it's alright. If you guys can get the others out… then it's fine. Death isn't exactly a new experience for me, anyways."

Neo frowned, and then lightly touched the bird's head with a finger. "Darling, I'm insulted. Do you really think a mere dream can capture my essence in such a manner?"

Frisk blinked at him.

"Well, you are sort of… glowy now, so… I think I'd've remembered if that was a thing before."

Neo paused, and leaned forward, his eyes lighting up to scan him again. "You were injected with a lot of magic…"

"Heh. You think? Even now, I can still feel it everywhere. Though…"

He was cut off as the metal door burst open and Alphys scurried in, stopping by where Frisk lay.

"F-Frisk! How… how do you feel?"

"Hey Alphys," the avian managed to turn his head just a little to get a better look at her. "Didja give Undyne a big sloppy kiss before coming out here?"

Alphys flushed, but remained on task. "Y-you first. "

"I'm as well as I can be I guess."

Neo smiled a little. "Sounds like him to me, Alphys...now…" The smile seemed weary. "Where to go from here…"

"H-hang on Frisk," Alphys turned and headed to the other side of the room. "I'm going to set up a couple of scans to check you out, Mettaton, can you come give me a hand?"

"Not like I'm going anywhere anyways," Frisk mumbled, his eyes half closing.

"Of course, Darling," the robot replied as he swiftly moved beside her. "The sooner we get this settled, the better…"

"H-how is he?" Alphys asked quietly after they had reached a far desk where she started pulling out various pieces of equipment.

"Can't move on his own yet...he seems...stable, but...he's still convinced he's dreaming," the robot muttered as he leaned close so that she could clearly hear him.

"D-dreaming?" Alphys's hands stilled for a moment. "He doesn't think this is real?"

"Precisely why I wanted you to hurry...he hasn't moved, he believes he's dreaming...add that all up...how aware do you think he is of...the change?"

"I hadn't considered that…" the scientist resumed her work, casting a glance back at the former Human. "B-but it makes sense. Human bodies and our bodies work so much more differently, it's really not that much of a surprise that all the strange sensations would lead him to think that…"

She stepped back, two different devices in her hands, before hesitating and asking softly.

"Are… are we sure it's him?"

"He's certainly talking like the Frisk we know," Neo responded. "Or at least his...encouragement of romance certainly didn't get axed off-but he recognized us..."

"It's probably him…" Alphys muttered, wiping away sweat on her forehead with the back of a hand. "I just don't...do you have any ideas on how to handle this?"

"...supervision-I...I think we might want to talk to Toriel and Asgore about...about the situation now that we know what's going on-to some degree…"

Alphys slowly nodded.

"Y-yes… they're already um… not doing well. I-it'll probably be best for everyone if we let them know… what happened. Um, maybe first, after I set up these scans, we should… see if we can convince him he's awake? I'm not sure how to do that though…"

"That's just the thing...and...when he does realize...what if he panics? I might have the sheer force to stop him, but...he'll hurt himself if he struggles against my form."

"And if he unleashes magic, he could drain himself, or destroy something that could cause him more harm. His soul is fragile right now, it won't be able to take much abuse."

"Which is why we need familiar faces that can calm him down, Alphys...we need his parents. They...they know him better than us. Perhaps between the four of us, we can drop the bomb?"

"Y-you're right. Then… then I'll call them down here." She handed the tools over to the robot. "Just bring these over, I'll be there in a minute."

Neo nodded, easily gathering them in his hold. "I'll keep things to a dull roar for you and oh-" He looked to her over his shoulder. "And maybe Grillby...to avoid any um...accidents...involving fire..."


	41. Days like These

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important notice at the end here! owo

"Hurry, Gorey," Toriel urged; her soul pulsing within her as they moved swiftly through the hallway towards the lab where Alphys and Neo had been working on her son.

The former king just gave a grunt of agreement, picking up his pace, with Grillby and Toriel hot on his heels.

The elemental followed after them, his fused form remaining strong. He and Muffet had opted to stay with the Human souls, in order to tend to the wounded throughout the night. Muffet may not be a healer due to her inherent poison magic, but her webs were good as makeshift bandages, and the elemental had some healing magic to go around.

Even now, the Human soul stirred within him. They knew full well they'd crash once they unfused, but people needed them, and so, they stayed firm as they followed the worried parents down to where their son had been taken.

They came through the doors and into the lab… and froze almost immediately.

Alphys was on the other end of the room, watching the display on a few different machines hooked up to a…

"Is… is that…" Asgore whispered.

"A Phoenix?" Toriel finished, stunned.

"That's the best we can gather," Neo replied quietly from where he was working, while Grillby surveyed the area quietly, swiftly gathering why he had been summoned as well, his gaze quietly landing on the avian again.

"But… where is Frisk?" Asgore managed, his eyes still locked on the bird at the table.

Neo sighed softly. "Asgore, Toriel…" He approached them quietly. "Frisk...was injected with a lot of magic…this..." He tried to think up the correct term. "Is the result of his...Determination, we presume. He wasn't going to survive, so instead of trying to fight it…" Neo made a motion. "Mind, we're still trying to get answers…"

"Are you saying…" Toriel breathed. "That that is… him?"

The robot nodded slowly. "I'm sorry…" he managed, his voice remaining steady-but there was that knowledge...that hope that if they had more time...perhaps this outcome could have been prevented.

"I don't understand…" Asgore shook his head slowly, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"But… it is him?" Toriel asked quickly. "That is Frisk?"

Neo put on a smile. "It certainly sounds like him, I assure you. Your matchmaker of a son...is mentally well-though...he doesn't believe this is real, and he hasn't yet noticed the change…"

"Will he be alright?"

"He's stable," Neo replied. "It may be too early to give guarantees, but as of this moment...he's all right, and perhaps, the only thing now, is that he must adjust...but again. We have to speculate."

Toriel shook her head.

"If that is him, then… I don't care what form he is in. I just want him safe…"

Neo nodded slowly. "Then...perhaps you can talk to him, help him understand that, he's awake, and that...things are different. And Grillby…"

"I'll stand by," the elemental stated simply, understanding that he was a precaution.

The two Boss Monsters nodded slowly, and made their way carefully over to their son. Alphys looked up as they approached, smiling and stepping back slightly.

"Frisk…." Asgore murmured.

"Hey, Dad. Mom," Frisk muttered weakly, turning his gaze to them as best he could. He tried to say more, but was cut off when Toriel wrapped arms around his prone body in an awkward hug.

"My son…" she whispered. "It's okay… everything's going to be okay."

Frisk stiffened below her with a small gasp, before hot tears began leaking from his eyes.

"Mom…"

Asgore had gone to the other side and began to stroke the feathers on Frisk's head.

"I do not know how this happened," he stated quietly, his voice trembling with emotion. "But you are safe now. We are just glad to have you back with us."

"D-dad, I…"

Alphys drew back further, leaving the boy with his parents and going to where Grillby and Neo stood.

"Everything I have set up says he should be able to fully recover…" she informed quietly. "I-if he can get adjusted to his new body, he should be a normal, healthy Boss Monster." She chuckled weakly. "P-providing he doesn't have any more surprises for us…"

"We could just have Grillby here twenty-four seven," Neo murmured.

"We do need to rest eventually...Chara is just...extending my...availability for the time being," the fusion stated wearily.

"Have you even rested since we got back?" Alphys asked the elemental.

"Only briefly…" Grillby replied. "We were helping the injured the best we could. There were some moments of rest, but...we can manage."

"You and Muffet are getting sleep tonight," Neo stated firmly.

"I won't argue with you."

"If something gets out of control…" Alphys glanced over to the three Boss Monsters on the other side of the room. "We can set some things up. U-unlike a normal elemental, he clearly doesn't need actual flames to survive, he seems to operate similarly to how Kid does. So if something happens, we can put out the flames without harming him… theoretically."

"Though on one hand, couldn't that keep you going?" Neo asked. "To take the flames."

"It'd help-much like coffee to a human though. Let's just...hope we do not need to resort to the fire extinguisher."

"I rather we not have to test the theory in the first place," the robot assured.

"A-agreed. I still can't say I know what's going on for certain, our theories.. They might not even be anywhere near the mark. But, if he's alive, then… I think that's enough." Alphys glanced around nervously, lowering her voice further. "I… I don't think Toriel could have handled it if he died…"

Grillby's light dimmed. "No matter where this course ends, for now…" He looked to the family. "I think this is the best outcome we could have hoped for, with everything considered. We truly thought…"

"He's going to need time to adjust." Alphys sighed. "He's not had magic before, and we don't have much physicality… and what we do is made of condensed magic anyways. Everything's going to be new to him. And it's not like a child, where it just learning up from nothing… he's going to have to… to un-learn everything he knows and then start from scratch."

"Perhaps...if need be...I can help," the elemental murmured. "If he has fire magic-I know we're different, but…"

"You wouldn't be harmed at least," the robot surmised.

"That… that could work," the reptile muttered. "We'd need to set things up, but… this will take a lot of work to get through. We can use all the help we can get."

"And we're willing to lend it," the two assured.

Alphys smiled in relief. "O-once we've all had a chance to rest, at least. I'm going to keep him under surveillance for a few days anyways, then we can see about sorting this mess out. But for now… it looks like… we all came out of this intact. We beat Reaper's Harvest and Overwatch… and we didn't lose anyone."

Grillby chuckled. "It seems things are turning around and…" He paused, before turning. "Young child," he called sternly. Standing a few feet away, was the little fusion looking quietly up at the others.

"It's real…" The avian managed, both his parents as close to him as they could get. "I'm alive… I'm here."

"You are," Toriel stated firmly, stroking her son's feathers. "And I know this… what happened will be difficult, but… we will be there for you. We'll make it through this, together."

Asgore was smiling softly, and though he didn't say anything, he took note of the little Frisk who had approached.

The little fusion came forward shakily, stopping a few feet away, silently looking up at the family as they clasped their hands together, the white bits of cloth hiding their hands in place of their still missing scarf.

The other Frisk was breathing shakily, obviously trying not to cry again. His counterpart's movement caught his attention and he looked down to see them standing there.

"Hey, Mini-me. Guess I did make it out of there, huh? Sort of, anyways…"

They bit their lip, blinking hard as the tears began, a little whine escaping them as their words died in their throat.

"Hey, hey…" the bird attempted to move a wing to place on the child's head, but could barely move it. "It's okay, everything's fine now."

The little one rose up on tiptoes, resting a hand on him as they shuddered, trying to keep everything even. "We-We'll help…" they managed, swallowing hard. "I promise."

Toriel rested a hand on the child's head.

"And we appreciate that. But do not take responsibility for this."

"Hey… at least maybe I can learn to fly now… that'd be pretty cool…"

The child instantly laid both hands on him, shaking their head at that idea as they laid their head down. "No," was their simple statement. "Not yet."

Not ever, preferably…

"Well yeah…" their counterpart tried a grin, and almost managed something resembling one on his beak this time. "I gotta learn to move my arms… er… wings… first anyways." He sighed. "I hope my feet are really dextrous, otherwise it's gonna suck with no hands…"

"We'll figure it out," Asgore rumbled soothingly.

The child nodded in agreement. "Rest," they mumbled to their counterpart...the differences so drastic now-and it pained them. "You're safe…" They had a long night, hardly any sleep as they worried over him, but now...he was safe...he was still alive. And...that was enough for them as their eyes started to close.

A few moments later, Toriel and Asgore were left standing over the two sleeping Frisks.

"It's not going to be easy," Asgore murmured to his wife.

"No," she agreed. "But we will manage. "Who knows? Perhaps in time… we will see that this has turned out for the best."

 

Sans opened his eyes...and found himself in the blackness of his Frisk's mind. He rubbed a hand against his skull-before jerking, remembering what had happened last-if only just faintly. "Frisk? Frisk!?" he bellowed out into the darkness, turning about as he noticed others wearily fading in, most of their images dropping to their knees.

Papyrus and Undyne went to aid others, confusion swiftly settling in. How long were they out? Where were they now? Where was Frisk? Alphys looked about, eyeing their surroundings. "W-well...I don't think Frisk is we-wearing their um...t-tiara…"

"Then where are they!?" Undyne demanded in a fury as she helped the lizard to her feet.

"Undyne," Papyrus chided as he aided Toriel, and then moved on to Asgore. "Perhaps they are tired...they tend to black out fully when they reach a certain point."

"That doesn't help!" the warrior called. "Ugh! Humans and their stupid 'attack from behind'!" She fumed, clenching her fists tightly. "Stupid stabbing in the back…"

Sans suddenly grinned. "Yeah, you'd think that if they were going to stab us in the back, they'd have the decency to do it to our face."

"Sans!"

Toriel smiled briefly, but it faded. "That...doesn't matter, we need to figure out what happened."

"I agree," Asgore rumbled, rising fully. "Let's find the little one…"

It took some searching, but eventually they stumbled upon the child, in such a deep sleep, that they weren't even dreaming, their mental image simply floating in the blackness of their mental plane.

Sans sighed, and raised a hand to them. "Let's see if we can't figure out what happened…" After all, they shared one mind in a sense...surely they could view memories…it was worth a shot, and so he attempted as he rested a hand on their head, trying to summon it forth.

Unbeknownst to him, the last soul, having swiftly hidden himself away, worked from the shadows to ensure the secrets the child hid from every soul they knew. Sans frowned at first-it was like trying to establish a connection to a weak signal. Flickers of imagery showed-before finally-the memories sprung to life.

The kidnapping...the imprisonment-but it soon became black as Frisk was drained again, leaving their eyes in need of protection. The souls-aside from Papyrus, became agitated, while he remained heavily concerned. They heard the rest...the events that unfolded...the battle…

There were no visuals still, until the wrapping was removed, and water flooded their vision, as a spider monster...no...Muffet-began tending to their eyes, making sure they were all right. It was the first time they saw her in the fusion and it had left them briefly confused…

They saw much more in that night. The conversations the child had, and the...dawning of what had become of everything in the time they had been unable to respond.

Toriel covered her mouth, and wordlessly pressed her head against Asgore, who drew her close. There may not have been deaths, but they were still in the wake of hurt that was left behind.

Sans sighed. "...Kid...you gotta stop making promises... "

Papyrus knelt beside his brother, and then grinned. "Well, I will say I am proud of your counterpart, Sans! He really made an improvement over what we learned before!"

Sans chuckled...though it was strained. "Yeah…"

The taller skeleton hummed. "...we should talk to him."

"Huh?"

Papyrus rose fully, turning to the others. "We wanted to talk to him regardless due to what happened, and...well...he might be hurting...we should see if he's alright."

Toriel smiled. "You have a point...but...where to find him…?"

Sans chuckled. "I can take some guess work…"

"...just d-don't get us lost, maybe?" Alphys asked as the fusion's eyes opened. There was some twitching, until one of them took full control. With a bounce in their step, the fusion headed off to find the skeleton, their initial goal to start outside, going to the locations they knew. If they didn't find Sans, they'd find someone who at least knew where he might be.

It wasn't far outside of the lab that they found Sans, leaning against the wall, staring off into the distance, as if deep in thought.

There was a pause as they sorted things out-but only for a moment as Papyrus kept

them moving. "Sans," they called, raising a hand in a wave as the right eye glowed dimly.

The short skeleton looked over, his sockets narrowing as he gazed at the child. He remained silent, however, waiting to for them to make the first move.

"Frisk's asleep right now…" They put their hands together, and the voice...became softer. "We were wondering if we could speak with you."

"No law against it," Sans replied neutrally. "What's on your minds?"

They looked around. "We may not want to bring it up with unwitting listeners," they continued in a soft tone.

"Fair enough," Sans took a quick look around. "How's the roof sound?"

The blue eye began to glow. "So long as we can avoid a _roof_ landing-" The orange eye flared as a hiss of frustration followed.

"That was low, even for you," they muttered, crossing their arms briefly.

"Boys…" The soft tone returned. "That sounds lovely, Sans."

The skeleton chuckled.

"You think you can get up there yourselves? Or d'you need a ride?"

"Will probably need a ride," the fusion replied, their tone shifting as the blue eye glowed again. "We just woke up, and uh, frankly...shortcuts don't seem to work all that well on this side...for us anyways."

"Hmmm, something we'll have to check out at some point." Sans proffered a hand. "Whenever you're all ready."

They dipped their head, the tail coming forward as they reached out, accepting it.

A moment later, they were on the roof, and Sans stepped back, his hoodie brushing against the air-conditioning unit set up there.

"So? What'cha got for me?"

The fusion turned, ear fins twitching, as the tone changed. It wasn't the soft one...it was deeper-as if the child was giving a quiet rumble. "We wished to discuss the last...few confrontations you had with our Frisk...and the events that transpired around them." The voice was sturdy, but it held no malice.

Sans's gaze flicked away from the fusion for a moment, then he turned back towards them, focusing all his attention on the souls within.

"Do you know how many times I saw Papyrus die?" he asked quietly. He let out a short bark of laughter with no real amusement in it. "Can't say I do either. But even with how hazy my memory is about that time... I know it was a lot. Dozens of times, hundreds maybe. Or Undyne? Alphys? Toriel? And not just you all either... everyone. The only Monsters I know for certain I haven't seen as dust on the wind is me... and Asgore. All because of a little kid with the power to change the world."

He sighed, and slumped against the unit, staring blankly into nothingness.

"Not that it was Frisk's fault then either," he muttered, almost to himself. "But do you understand? With power like that... the fact that your Frisk is still a child has no meaning. And when someone like that entered my world... and then we lost Chara because of something that should never have existed here...

"I couldn't risk them coming back. I couldn't go through all that, not again." He glanced back at where he knew the others were listening. "I'm not trying to make excuses. I know that I overreacted... and that I was wrong. Now me and the kid... we already had a talk about this. So the fact that you all came here means either they're still holding a grudge... which I find unlikely, or you all decided on your own that we needed a talk. So... figure you might as well know why I did it, since you went through all that trouble."

The fusion stepped forward, a hand gently resting on his shoulder. The ear fins twitched, and a wide grin appeared. "Well, now that you had to go and apologize, I don't have a reason to yell at you about our Punk anymore." There was a laugh, before the smile softened, and the orange eye began to glow.

"We know the two of you had talked, but we had intended to talk to you before then as well. We knew you had to of been hurting when that happened. So the question is...are you all right now?"

Sans's grin seemed to widen slightly.

"Welp, Toriel's a mess and Frisk's a bird... but at least he's doing _feather_ than before. Once things calm down, I think we'll be okay so... Yes. I think I'm alright now."

He winked.

"I'm _talon_ you, this coulda been a lot worse."

The orange eye flared as the fusion tossed their arms up. "He's perfectly fine!"

Though a laugh escaped as the blue eye glowed. "By all means, do keep _egging_ him on."

"I despise both of you!"

"Aw, come on, Paps." Sans chuckled. "You know you'd get _bonely_ without us."

The fusion twitched, and then gave a very dead-pan look. "This one is just as infuriating," they muttered. "Must both of you enjoy tormenting others with puns?"

The left eye glowed, the casual smile returning. "Oh, come on, Pap, it's not that we enjoy _tormenting_ you..."

"Oh no. Don't you-"

"We just like sending _torrents_ of puns out at you."

"That was terrible!"

"Course it was-"

"Sans."

"Ter- _rib_ -ble."

The fusion groaned.

"I'm a skeleton after all."

The fusion drooped. "This is my life. Unable to get two feet away from you."

Sans reached out and patted them on the shoulder gently.

"It's only 'cause we love ya, Paps."

"You just _have_ to show it through puns..."

It looked like the Sans within the fusion was about to speak, but instead, both eyes dimmed, a foot tapping softly as the voice grew soft. "Now, easy, let us not wake Frisk." A pleasant smile came. "I'm glad we were able to settle this."

Sans inclined his head slightly.

"So am I. We had enough of a rough start already... better to sort out the kinks now, before something else happens. I'd prefer to avoid more conflicts between us."

There was a slow dip of the head, the voice changing, but with no physical indication. "We for one, would like to start things smoothly, now that we finally have the privilege to meet those of your world."

"Glad we're in agreement then. Means I won't have Papyrus nagging at me to spend time with your side's pups..." Sans shook his head. "And they all seem quite taken with him... Not that I can blame them for that. I mean... who wouldn't be?"

The blue glow steadily returned. "Heh, Pap's a kid magnet as always. He is the coolest after all-"

The fusion covered their face, though orange light seeped between their fingers. "A genuine compliment!"

"We only say it cause it's true." Sans chuckled. Then he stifled a yawn. "Welp, I should probably be heading to bed soon... Busy day tomorrow, we still owe Judgement her day. Gotta say, I've got a new appreciation for what you all go through, it's interesting just being a voice in someone's head..."

The tail flicked, and the child seemed more withdrawn, wringing their hands. "It d-did take some getting used to...though some louder members can take over obviously..."

"What?" was the 'innocent' reply as ear fins twitched. "I didn't do anything."

"Heh. If our version of you hadn't been so excited over the fact, she might have been more of a problem, Undyne." Sans chortled. "I think she was just happy to be part of the mix."

The fusion nodded quietly, stepping back softly. "From what we gather from the others, it is certainly something...but we should let you get some rest, after all..." There was a giggle, and a few moments later, the blue glow came as the giggle morphed to a chortle. "You must be _bone_ tired."

The orange eye abruptly flared as they groaned.

"Heh. Good one, me." Sans grinned. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon, but better get the kid back to bed before they wonder why they're so sore in the morning, alright?"

The tail flicked. "That typically only happened with Undyne taking control at night..."

The ear fins pinned back. "I couldn't sleep," was the defense as they folded their arms.

The fusion shook their head, eyes dimming with a gentle rumble. "Enough, Undyne, we know how it is. She is allowed to tease _you_ once in a long while."

Sans looked over across the horizon, where golden light was beginning to stain the sky, heralding the rising of the sun.

"Gonna be a lot of work today," he muttered quietly.

"Yes, but…" It was the gentle rumble that continued to speak as they turned, smiling at the sight. "I think...it's still going to be a beautiful day outside."

"Birds'll be singing… if Frisk doesn't scare em' off first," Sans chuckled.

"And the flowers will be blooming-" The tone change to a loud one, the ear fins twitching. "If those little rascals don't trample them!"

"On days like these… well," the short skeleton gave a contented sigh. "We get to see the sun. And really… that makes everything worth it, to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Dear Readers!
> 
> We have reached the end of Last Harvest, and with that, there is actually two very important pieces of news.
> 
> The next story is going to be a little different than the past few. Similar to Armless Embrace, it’s going to be a collection of events following a timeline, rather than a full story. 
> 
> This is due to a few factors. Mainly because of the sheer length of the series to come. The two of us have been working on and planning out this series for quite some time, and there's still several stories yet to be told. Not only that, but what we're trying to accomplish spans many years within the storyline. 
> 
> As such, we are left with some events, relationships and character development that must be properly established, but don't have quite enough content to be woven properly into a cohesive unit. As the Armless Embrace style has worked before, we believe this is the way to provide the best possible experience for you all.
> 
> (I’m sorry, Dear Adrenaline Junkies, but not all bonds are forged in the midst of a battlefield. XP)
> 
> That being said, this is a story that is very much acting as a bridge from Last Harvest, to the next big thing. And trust me, big things are coming. After all, there’s still trouble beneath Mt. Ebott. 
> 
> The next story still has a bit of action as well as its fluff, and other moments, but we do want to assure that there’s still a main story. >W<
> 
> We know some of you prefer action, while others enjoy more of the slice-of-life style and character interaction. We have plenty of both prepared still, and we will be separating them out like this in future, a collection of scenes and shorts like Armless Embrace, followed by a more intense, plot-centric story. So do not despair, whatever you prefer you can be sure we will provide. You just may have to be patient for it.
> 
>  
> 
> Second off:
> 
> This is usually where we say we’ll be back in two weeks--
> 
> Sadly,
> 
> May was a very harsh month for the both of us. With personal issues, and a computer dying in a burst of majestic flames. (Minus the majestic flames.)
> 
> Due to this, Petal has been doing all the uploading since when Judgement appeared. (This is how long the computer’s been dead, and we’ve only just got a new one back online.)
> 
> This...kind of put writing dead in its tracks--because the personal issues hadn’t done that enough already. 
> 
> And to top it off, now Petal’s computer is getting an attitude with the blue screen of death. 
> 
> In short...there might be a longer delay than usual as we’re barely done writing the next part due to all these issues--let alone editing. 
> 
> We don’t know when we’re uploading now. We know we will, we’re working as best as we can, but we can’t give an actual date this time, we hope you understand. 
> 
> We are getting back on our feet though, and we will do our best, we promise. 
> 
> We just ask you to be patient with us a little while. And when it comes out, the next story will be titled; “And So it All Begins”. Watch out for it!
> 
>  
> 
> (P.S., if it interests you, Petal will attempt uploading other Undertale related stuff here to occupy you. It might even have fluff in it, how about that! It won't be connected to the main series, but--
> 
> It's that or nothing till who knows when. OwO' )


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